Lombardy · Como
Torno
A medieval village on the eastern shore of Lake Como, home to Villa Pliniana and its rhythmic spring described by Pliny the Younger.
46 km / 29 mi
Nearest hub (Monza)
1,086
Population
Apr–Oct
Best time to visit
Recognised as
Why come
Torno sits on the eastern shore of Lake Como, five kilometres north of the city of Como and forty-five from Milan. The medieval village climbs in narrow lanes from the small port up the steep slope behind it, the historic core compact enough to walk in fifteen minutes. The Chiesa di Santa Tecla, first mentioned in 1208 in correspondence between Pope Innocent III and the abbot of Sant'Abbondio of Como, holds a large Gothic rose window above the entrance, frescoes from the local Larian school by Bartolomeo De Benzi and by Beghi, and the date 1480 cut into the entrance portal. The Romanesque bell tower predates the rest. Outside the village, at the lake edge, stands Villa Pliniana, built in 1573 by the Como governor Giovanni Anguissola. Inside its grounds rises the rhythmic spring that Pliny the Younger described in his Letters and that Leonardo da Vinci came to study. The villa has had a long list of owners since.
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Gallery
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Known for
Chiesa di Santa Tecla
Romanesque-Gothic church first documented in 1208, with a Gothic rose window, statue niche and entrance dated 1480.
Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
Romanesque parish church above the village, with a marble portal carved by the Maestri Comacini in the 16th century.
Villa Pliniana
1573 villa by Giovanni Anguissola at lake's edge, around the rhythmic spring described by Pliny the Younger and studied by Leonardo.
Centro storico
Compact medieval core of stepped lanes climbing from the port, walkable end to end in roughly fifteen minutes.
Porto di Torno
Small lake harbour, the boat connection point with Como city and the western shore villages.
When to visit
Best months · Apr–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
April through October is Torno's open season. Spring brings the Pliniana gardens into bloom and the rhythmic spring back to its summer pattern. May and June are the cleanest months for the lake light and the walk up to San Giovanni Battista. July and August fill the small port with boat traffic from Como, and the steep lanes climb quickly out of the heat into the cooler upper houses. September and October are the locals' months: the swimming holds, the rose window of Santa Tecla picks up the autumn sun, and the day-tripper boats thin out. November through March is quiet. The boats reduce, the village turns inward, and the lake fog can sit for days.
How to get there
From Monza, Torno is roughly 46 km by road. Allow about 39–55 minutes depending on traffic and route choice (autostrada vs scenic).
Drive time to the nearest gateway airports
- Milan1h 30m
- Turin2h 14m
- Verona2h 33m
Elevation 225 m
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