Torno, Lake Como: the village on the point, seen from the water
A small harbour, two old churches and lanes climbing into the woods. Torno is one of the first stops when you leave Como by boat, and it deserves more than a glance from the ferry.
Torno, Lake Como, eastern shore: one of the first villages I pass when I leave Como and head north. A rocky point, a little harbour full of moored boats, colourful houses stacked up the hillside. It is only a few minutes away by boat, yet it keeps a pace of its own.
Torno from the lake: how to get there by boat
Torno sits on a headland pushing out into the lake, so it is easy to read from the water. As you come closer you pick out the church of Santa Tecla and the little square on the harbour, yellow and pink façades shoulder to shoulder. Early in the morning the water there is often flat, and all you hear is the engine easing off.
There are two ways in by water. The Navigazione Laghi public ferry stops here on the route from Como up towards the central lake. Timetables change with the seasons, so always check the official website before you set off. Or you can take a private water taxi, like our wooden Venetian water taxi, which pulls in at Torno when it suits you and picks you up once you have explored the village.
A short history of Torno
People lived in Torno before the Romans arrived. In the Middle Ages it grew wealthy on the cloth trade, and the colours of the houses you see from the boat owe something to that past. It had walls and fortifications, and a long rivalry with Como.
In 1522 a Spanish invasion destroyed the walls and much of the village. Torno never quite recovered its old standing, but the historic centre kept its steep, narrow lanes. Today the town holds the Bandiera Arancione, the Orange Flag that the Touring Club Italiano awards to small places that welcome visitors well.
What to see in Torno, Lake Como
- 01Santa Tecla church
The parish church faces the harbour square, so it is the first thing you see when you step ashore. It is Romanesque in origin, rebuilt in the 17th century, and still has traces of frescoes by the local painter Bartolomeo De Benzi.
- 02San Giovanni and the Holy Nail
The second church not to skip. It has a Romanesque bell tower and a carved Renaissance marble doorway. Behind the altar, in an old chest, is the relic of the Holy Nail, which tradition says reached Torno in 1099. The façade was restored in 1999 to mark nine centuries.
- 03Villa Pliniana
A little further north on the same shore. Count Giovanni Anguissola, governor of Como, built it in 1573 around the intermittent spring that Pliny had already written about. From the water you can see the arch opening right at lake level. It has its own guide.
- 04The park of Villa Zita
A park with fountains, small chapels and viewpoints where the village rooftops, the lake and the mountains all line up together. A quiet stop between one church and the next.
- 05The avelli and the Pietra Pendula
Above the village, in the woods towards Piazzaga and Montepiatto, are ancient tombs carved into erratic boulders left behind by the glaciers. At Montepiatto stands the Pietra Pendula, a huge boulder protected as a natural monument. You walk up on old mule tracks, so wear proper shoes and bring water.
- 06A stretch of the Strada Regia
The Strada Regia, a footpath of about 32 km linking Como and Bellagio, runs through Torno. You do not need to walk all of it: even a short section gives you the lake from above.
Best time to visit Torno
My favourite months are April, May and June, then September and October. The light is soft, there is less traffic on the water, and it is the right temperature to climb the lanes and head up towards Montepiatto. In high summer Torno is still lovely, especially in the morning or towards evening. In winter the village is quiet and belongs to the people who live there; check the town's website for church and service opening before you go.
Places near Torno
Torno is a good starting point for the Como branch of the lake. To the south is Como, with its lakefront and cathedral. Across the water lies Moltrasio. Heading north you reach Nesso and its gorge, and further up Bellagio, where the lake splits into three.
