Como

Como (Italian: [ˈkɔːmo] , locally [ˈkoːmo] ; Comasco: Còmm [ˈkɔm], Cómm [ˈkom] or Cùmm [ˈkum]; Latin: Novum Comum) is a city and comune (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its prime location on the southwestern branch of Lake Como and its proximity to the Alps has made Como a popular destination for tourists. The city boasts a rich collection of art, religious sites, verdant gardens, museums, theatres, public parks, and opulent palaces, including the iconic Duomo, seat of the Diocese of Como; the Basilica of Sant'Abbondio; Villa Olmo; the public gardens with the Tempio Voltiano; the Teatro Sociale; the Broletto, the city's medieval town hall; and the 20th-century Casa del Fascio, a landmark of modernist architecture. Como has been the birthplace of numerous notable historical figures, including the Roman poet Caecilius, mentioned by Catullus in the 1st century BC, the celebrated writers Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, the physician and historian Paolo Giovio, Pope Innocent XI, the pioneering scientist Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery, Cosima Wagner, daughter of Franz Liszt and wife of Richard Wagner, and Antonio Sant'Elia, a futurist architect and pioneer of the modern architectural movement.