This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
A Q&A with the Wonderlake Como‘s Team.
Wonderlake Como (@wonderlakecomo) is an ensemble of ideas and individuals with extraordinary perspectives on the Lake Como area. A non-profit association whose cultural project is to promote the qualities of this region in Italy and around the world, through publications and cultural events that show the area off in its best light, putting forward a modern and integrated image of a place that has always possessed its own strong identity.
When was Wonderlake Como born?
Wonderlake Como started its journey in 2016, founded by a group of people in love with Lake Como, interested in promoting it and wishing to share its hidden places, exclusive secrets and the riches of this unique heritage.
How did you come up with the idea of this guide?
The idea of a guide was born from a pressing need to tell the lake through the eyes of Wonderlake. To just provide information is not enough and it has never been the fuel for our work; what we feel it makes the difference is the love, the sensitivity, and the way you tell a story. We like to excite but above all to be ourselves excited by the discovery of new places, from the historical ones with generations behind them to those that have just opened with so much enthusiasm. The research was really interesting, even better was to find and talk to people who always have so many interesting things to tell. And we will not stop searching and being enchanted by the new small and big worlds around the lake.
How did you select the locations to feature inside this guide?
It is truly amazing how the people who work at Wonderlake have the same vision and the same interest in beauty. Any member of the Association has different sensitivity and background, but it surprises us every time to see how the taste is the same. We made this guide for ourselves, to sort out our travel notes and to give to local people a new mirror in which to look themselves through.
What was the funniest part about creating this guide?
We can’t say if it is funny but a very interesting part of the job is when you pick up the phone and fix an appointment to visit a place you have to discover yet. Or it’s when an owner tells you about something that has always been right under your nose but you have never noticed before. Or again when you taste or see something so exciting that you think ‘here it is! I have to tell my friend about this… I’m sure he’ll like it!’. Research always includes the desire to tell it to your best friend, your mum, your boyfriend…
Please, mention a few places that a person coming to Como has to visit.
Have you ever looked for an architecture book in the Plinio il Vecchio bookshop in via Vitani? It is a unique experience! Have you ever tasted the goat cheese from Casale Roccolo bought at the market? It’s incredible! Have you ever visited the Museo Casartelli, a small three-dimensional museum from the 1920s? It is a fairytale indeed! And then… the boat trips to admire the villas from the lake, the small streets of the center, peeping into the courtyards, unique and curious worlds, so different but all attractive for small details or for imposing gardens and hidden palaces.
Or again: Brunate, the walks towards the mountain huts, the taverns scattered in the small villages… Well, there are too many stops to make in Como. Francesca, coordinator of Wonderlake Como arrived on the lake 8 years ago, and, even if she is very curious, she has not seen even 1 percent of Como’s beauty since yet.
In addition to this guide, Wonderlake Como has published other books, tell us something about them.
Wonderlake Como has released a series of publications that reveal unexpected points of view, where wonder is the common thread of each volume. The story that is told between the pages of these books is poetry, made up of images, living pages of decoration, furnishings, and nature. Resources for the mind and eyes of those who live and travel around this lake.
Volume 1 is Grand interiors of Lake Como: a ballad where the rhymes are the architectural lines and each room reveals a living, tangible soul, built through the passage of centuries, the whims of fashion, and the evolution of taste.
Volume 2, The green side of Lake Como, is a journey with an unprecedented perspective, which tells the green of some of the most beautiful historical residences on Lake Como and its territory. To immerse oneself in a garden is to understand the true soul of a place, the elective design of those who created it. When you look at a garden, you see stages painted by green lines, where shades chase each other, plants bend to the whims of time and intense scents envelop the seasons.
For those who have never been to Como, how would you describe this place?
There are not enough words to explain the diversity and the intensity of this corner of the world. Anyone arriving in Como will not be disappointed. Nature has been generous with this place, which has been enhanced by what humans have added over time. Wonderful villas and palaces, museums, collections, rationalist architectures, most of the leading companies in the furniture market… all this is located around Como. You can’t get bored!
Where people can find out more about Wonderlake Como and where can they buy your books?
It is possible to find the Wonderlake Guide and the other books made by Wonderlake Como in most of the museums’ bookshops on the lake. In Como town, you can buy them at the bookshop in via Vitani. If you are a guest in a 4 or 5 stars hotel on the lake, you can ask the reception and they will give you a copy of The Wonderlake Guide 2022 for sure.
Never miss a story – subscribe now to the Gents Cafe Newsletter, a bite-sized read about men’s lifestyle to enjoy over a coffee or a nice cocktail.