Como,

Como, a city of Lombardy, Northern Italy, beautifully situated at the south-west extremity of the Lake of Como, 30 miles N. of Milan by rail. It lies in a valley, surrounded by hills, clad with luxuriant gardens, olive plantations, and orange groves, with here and there an old ruin cropping out. The city is surrounded by old walls flanked with towers, the gateways by which the walls are pierced being fine specimens of medieval military architecture. Among the principal buildings of Como are the cathedral (1396–1732), and the town-hall, built of marble, dating from the beginning of the 13th century. The chief articles of manufacture are silk, satin, gloves, and soap. By means of its port, Como carries on extensive trade in the produce of the district with Switzerland. Pop. with suburbs (1893) 32,600. Como, the ancient Comum, was the birthplace of Cæcilus Statius, the two Plinys, of several popes, and of the physicist Volta. In 1107 it began to war with Milan, and in the course of twenty years was utterly destroyed by its antagonist. As an important headquarters of the Ghibelline party, it was rebuilt in 1158 by Frederick Barbarossa, and remained a republic for two centuries, when it fell into the hands of the Viscontis, its history since that time being bound up with that of Milan.