Como

Como, a city of Italy in Lombardy and capital of a province of the same name, is situated in a delightful valley at the southern extremity of Lake Como. It is surrounded by old walls, and was a place of importance in the time of Julius Caesar, when it was named Novum Comum. The cathedral and the town-hall, both built of marble, date from the 14th and 13th centuries respectively. Its manufactures embrace woollens, silks, cottons, and soap; and by its port an extensive trade with Swiss produce is carried on. During the 12th and 13th centuries it was a republic. It was the birthplace of the Plinys, elder and younger, and the physicist Volta. The province covers an area of 1,049 square miles, and produces silk and wine.