Como

Como (kō`mō), city (1991 pop. 87,059), 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.