Como
[key], city, capital of Como prov., Lombardy, N Italy, at the southwest
end of Lake Como, near the Swiss border. It is an important tourist center
and is noted for its silk industry. Originally a Roman colony, Como became
an independent commune in the 11th cent. and was frequently at war with, and
ruled by, Milan. It later came under Spanish and Austrian control and was
liberated by Garibaldi in 1859. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance,
artisans, architects, and sculptors from Como (the maestri
comacini) were renowned throughout Italy. The city has a
remarkable marble cathedral (14th–18th cent.), a 13th-century city
hall, and several Romanesque churches.
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