One of the most important productions of the place are surely the silk accessories: ties, scarves and dresses.
The production of silk in Como began in 1510 with the first industrial activity of Mr. Pietro Boldoni of Bellano and Como and continued at full speed up to the present day.
For many years the city has been the undisputed leader in silk production, so much to conquer the title of “world capital of silk”. Recently, as a result of the rapid and extensive development of Chinese productions, the Como industries have moved on a niche market and products of high quality and precious manufacture.
The Silk Museum in Como (http://www.museosetacomo.com/) and the Civico Museo Setificio Monti in Abbadia Lariana (http://www.museoabbadia.it) are very interesting to visit. In both there are exhibits, library and teaching on the various activities related to the production of silk – breeding of bugs, spinning of cocoons, twisting and weaving – and its trade (photo: Ysogo).
Another nice gift to make to friends and relatives or to buy for themselves are the numerous food delights. For further information, refer to the food section. I mention only as an example the numerous sweets (miascia, resta), the cheeses (zincarlin, semuda, lariano of goat, the casoretta of the Val d’Intelvi, the stracchino, the gorgonzola, the quartirolo and the taleggio, etc ..), the fish including the missoltin, the prized oil in the area of Isola Comacina and Oliveto Lario, the lemons of Tremezzo, the honey, the salami (sausage, salamella, cotechino and bresaola), the numerous flours for polenta, and finally the wines and the numerous varieties of beers, all of high quality.
Other typical products of the lake are wooden objects: from the spoon, to the furniture and the boats!
Famous among all the wooden boats is Lucia, a sort of traditional wooden gondola, very used for moving on the lake. The boat, originally born with a solid wooden flat bottom, is mentioned by Manzoni in the Promessi Sposi, but also by Mark Twain and Stendhal, so much is his poetry and notoriety.
Lucia has been replaced by resin and motor boats, but remains the symbol of the quality production of wooden boats, carried out by the few but prestigious shipyards still left on the lake.
The furniture industry, on the other hand, is still rather solid in the Cantù area, where furniture of all kinds is exported, even from famous brands all over the world. Another typical production is the processing of Valsassina iron, and in particular Premana, where scissors, knives and cutting tools are made. Copper processing is concentrated in Valsassina and in Val Cavargna (in Ceresio) thanks to the presence of skilled craftsmen. In many places, ethnographic museums are set up that show work tools that have disappeared or are not used today.
Among these we mention:
– Ethnographic and Naturalistic Museum in the Villa Camozzi of Grandola: www.museovalsanagra.it
– Ethnographic Museum in Premana: www.museo.premana.lc.it/
Other important and well-known articles are the laces of Cantù, of sixteenth-century origin.
It is a lace made entirely by hand using a cylindrical and soft, the bobbin, on which a paper design is fixed. This design serves as a basis for the construction of the lace which is made by intertwining cotton threads using sticks called spindles. The number of bobbins used can also be very high depending on the complication of the design to be achieved.
It is a manual work that requires skill, patience and precision and for this reason it is a symbol of Made in Italy craftsmanship all over the world.
Last but not least, we mention the art galleries with many interesting works, of recent or ancient realization, and the watercolors with views of Como Lake made by local artists.
There are numerous souvenir shops in Tremezzo, Menaggio, Bellagio and Varenna.
We refer to the different links on the internet, hoping not to forget anyone:
– Bellagio: http://www.bellagiolakecomo.com/en/category/thematic-areas/shops
– Menaggio: http://www.menaggio.com/newmedia/pdf%20sito%20turistico/menaggio%20/shops.pdf
– Tremezzina: http://www.comune.tremezzina.co.it/upload/brochurecommercio.pdf
In many places on the lake, depending on the day, various local markets are set up with the sale of local food specialties, clothes, books and more.
Below the list:
Argegno – Monday morning
Bellagio – 3rd Wednesday each month
Bellano – Thursday morning
Cernobbio – Wednesday morning (Piazza Risolgimento)
Colico – Friday morning
Domaso – 1st and 3rd Tuesday morning, each month
Dongo – 1st and 3rd Thursday morning, each month
Gravedona – 1st and 3rd Wed. morning, each month
Lenno – Tuesday morning
Menaggio – 2nd and 4th Friday morning, each month
Mezzegra – Friday morning
Porlezza – Staurdays
Tremezzo – Thursday (small food market)
Only in the city of Como there are also several markets:
– Mercerie market – Tuesday and Thursday morning, Saturday all day
– Mercato Annonario, in Via Mentana – every day from Monday to Saturday
– Agricultural market of the Como producers – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning with direct sales from the producer to the consumer of products from the Como area
– CortoBio markets – local and organic producers’ markets are held every Saturday from 8 to 12.30 in Como-Rebbio, in the park of the Comboni Missionaries in Via Salvadonica, 3 along Via Varesina
– Antiques Market – first Saturday of each month in Piazza San Fedele
– Handicraft Market – second, third and fourth Saturday of each month in Piazza San Fedele
Other annual markets in the city of Como are:
– Easter Fair, which takes place in Viale Varese – from Holy Thursday to Easter Monday
– Book Fair in Piazza Cavour – between the end of August and the beginning of September
– Fiera di Sant’Abbondio, in the complex of Saints Cosma and Damiano – on 31 August, with the gastronomic saga and the traditional cattle fair