Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-14
LAKE COMO.
Visit to Claude MelnOtte's
Loves Paradise.
ROYAL VILLAS LINE IT'S SHORES
The Homes of Some Celebrities
The Town of COmo-An An
cient Love Story.

| cient Love Story.
LAKE Como Italy), Oct. LIT would
be hard to find, I fancy, more delightful
resorts the year round than those SO we'll
known on the three principal Italian
lakes, Como, Lugano and Maggiore.
Lake Como, from its sheltered position
among the mountains, is delightful in
winter, and the hotels are well filled
even during the cold months. Lake
Maggiore is much larger, and the seen.
cry in many parts much more beautiful
than that around Como, but the English
prefer the latter, and leave both Lugano
and Maggiore more or less to Italian
plessure-seekers, or to the hordss of
travellers of all nationalities who haunt
the north of Italy at certain seasons.
| More than two.thirds of the beautiful
villas on Lake Como are owned by Eng.
lish people, who come down through
Switzerland and France between the lst
and 18th of August and remain until the
end Of October usually. The hotels are
filling rapidly, but as there are to be no
regattas next month, fewer French and
German visitors will be here than usual.
July ran through most extraordinary
thirty .one days, and disappeared in
cold wind, bearing plenty of snow on
the surrounding mountain tops. The
Italians, who are already in their sum.
mer homes, are very quiet. "saving up,
so the young ladies say, for the gaities
of the early autumn. The most magr,
nificent though by no means the most
charming villa on the lake, is the prop.
erty of the Viscountess Mudroda, and
was formerly the summer house of the
Countess Raimondia, the daughter of
Garibaldi. 1t is a large white marble
building, with three great doors in front,
over which hang heavy canvas curtains
at present, and before which the family
congregate about o'clock in the after.
noon, to take some light efreshments
and chat until dinner time. The grounds
are extremely beautiful, being wild and
woody in PARIS, with quaint grottos and
curious fountains here and there, and
the lawns dotted with immense mag
nolia and lemon trees. A great gilt
crown surmounts the center pinacle,
and on the iron gate is written the
word "pOrman," the name of the place.
The lodges, one at each end of ths,
grounds, are also of white marble. The
viscountess entertains great deal, Civ.
ing many dinners, lawn parties, fancy
! balls, etc. Just above, on the noun.
tain side, is the lovely country palace Of
Mons. and Nine. Capada, who were
both famous singers, here in Italy, some
ten years ago.
Further on up the lake are the old vii.
las of Taglioni and Vasta, where these
celebreties once lived. A little further
on is beautiful island, formerly forti-
fed, which played an important part in
the military annals of the middle ages.
Charming ruins and a few modern
houses cover portion of it now, but the
old guide still shows you shadowy-look.
ing caves that the spirit Of the thousand
witches burned in Como in 1924 are said
to haunt con inually, and on the high.
est promontory OF the little isle stands q
rickety bell.tower among the oxalia and
camelia bushes, and there, every May
Day, goes young peasant lad of the vi
cinity to ring the bell and call all the
young men and maidens within hearing
together, that from among them he may
choose the maid he loves best to be his
bride. The custom is very old and very
regularly observed in the lake districts.
and no spot could be more fitting as.
suredly than that on the beautiful isle
of Camacino. At the upper end of the
lake are the two beautiful resorts of Bel.
lagio and Caddenabia. Charming bal
comics from the hotels. restaurants and
villas hang over the waters edge, and
the view in every direction is enchant.
ing. At Bellagia the tourist may pur-
chase the silk blankets and scarfs of rich
Roman colors, or the lace that the little
girls make, sitting in front of the houses
in the narrow streets; also the tiny
wooden shoes of the Italian peasant
girls. At Cadenabbia is the famous
Villa Gotta the property Of the Duchess
of Saxemainaggen. The terraced gar.
dens are beautiful beyond description,
and the tiny landing-place steps and
breakwater all Of white marble) is one
of the prettiest ON the lake. In the
great hall of the house is Thorwaldsen's
freize. representing Alexanders triumph.
| Several works Of Canova are also there.
First, and always first for b+auty and
grace among the great works OF the
sculptors, is his cupid and Psyche"
The combined power and airy lightness
of design seem almost to endow the
II 60 nd
poets to see the two exquisite figures
move and fly away, or step from their
cold, black pedestal into the light and
sunshine to rest with the butterflies
among the flowers. There are but two
or three places of any historic interest
on Lake Como, and of these the town
of Como itself is the chief.
On the top of a hill which forms the
back ground of the town, stands most
picturesque UNCOVERED old tower. Not
o window, crack or crevice breaks the
stretch of stone from top to bottom,
and its curious construction almost tells
its cruel history.
Some time in the fifteenth century
Duke of Como loved beautiful Vero-
nese lady, who, however preferred o
young lord of her native city. The
Duke, infuriated at the rejection OF his
suit, vowed vengeance upon the luckless
lover, and added the tower mentioned
above 10 his splendid castle. Then he
waited, like all evil spirits in legends,
until Just before the marriage OF the
happy pair, when he took the young
man tprisoner one night, and bearing
him away to his own domain. lowered
him with ropes into this dark round tow.
or. There he left him, and the third
night after, so the story goes, the peas
ants in the neighborhood saw white
dove fly from the tower and bear
straight to heaven human heart; and
to this day the old castle Baradella (such
it is called) is the favorite haunt OF