Home › Lake Como › Como Cathedral (Duomo Di Como)
Como Cathedral (Duomo Di Como), Lake Como - Things to Do at Como Cathedral (Duomo Di Como)

Things to Do at Como Cathedral (Duomo Di Como)

Complete Guide to Como Cathedral (Duomo Di Como) in Lake Como

About Como Cathedral (Duomo Di Como)

Como Cathedral, the Duomo di Como, rises from the lakefront streets of Como's old town with a presence that halts you mid-stride. Pale Moltrasio stone catches alpine light differently all day. Chalky at noon, golden late afternoon, carved saints and prophets throwing long shadows across the piazza. You'll hear the soft slap of pigeon wings against the rose window before you clock the cathedral itself, wedged between narrow medieval lanes that open suddenly onto broad stone steps. Construction began in 1396 and stretched across nearly four centuries. Walking around the building feels like flipping through an architectural sketchbook: late Gothic at the front, Renaissance along the flanks, Filippo Juvarra's grand Baroque cupola crowning the whole thing in 1770. This is one of the last Gothic cathedrals built in Italy, and possibly the only one wearing a Baroque dome with such swagger. The interior smells of cold stone and beeswax, the hush of centuries of footsteps worn smooth. Two seated statues flank the main portal: Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger, both born in Como, both pagans, both honored on a Catholic cathedral. The town takes its Roman heritage seriously. Even the church couldn't leave them off.

What to See & Do

The Main Facade and Plinian Statues

Carved by the Rodari brothers between 1484 and 1498, the white marble facade glows silver on overcast days. Look for the two seated figures of Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger in their canopied niches. These are the only pagan statues on a major Italian cathedral facade. The rose window tracery above rewards a slow look. The delicacy is rare in Lombard Gothic.

Juvarra's Baroque Cupola

Filippo Juvarra completed the dome in 1770. From inside it feels oversized for the Gothic body it crowns. Stand beneath it and look up. Geometric coffering spins a dizzying perspective. On sunny mornings light shafts pour through the lantern, theatrical, almost staged.

The Renaissance Tapestries

Sixteenth-century Flemish and Ferrarese tapestries hang along the nave walls. Biblical scenes in muted golds and faded crimsons. They rotate seasonally, so different ones greet you each visit. The wool still carries faint scents of age and incense.

Side Altars and Renaissance Paintings

Bernardino Luini and Gaudenzio Ferrari works fill the side chapels. Both are Lombard Renaissance painters worth knowing. Luini's Adoration of the Magi altarpiece shows the softness he borrowed from Leonardo. The chapels stay dim. Bring coins for light boxes to see brushwork properly.

The Wooden Choir Stalls

Behind the main altar, inlaid wooden choir stalls invite close inspection. Marquetry shows architectural fantasies and biblical scenes in walnut, pear, boxwood. Centuries have darkened them to warm tobacco brown. Run your fingertips along armrests polished smooth by clergy.

Practical Information

Opening Hours

Open daily, typically 10:30 in the morning until 5:30 in the afternoon. Midday closure for lunch on some days. Sunday hours shrink and shift around Mass times. Mornings may be worshippers only. Summer sees slightly longer hours.

Tickets & Pricing

Entry to the main cathedral is free. Quick stops are easy even with twenty minutes. Donations welcomed at the entrance. Treasury museum and certain side chapels charge a small fee. Cheaper than Milan or Florence equivalents.

Best Time to Visit

Late morning, around 11, gives the best light through the rose window onto the nave floor. Early afternoon fills with day-trippers off the Bellagio ferries. For near solitude, arrive right after lunch reopening. Locals still eat, tour groups regroup later. Winter visits are quieter but cold inside. Dress in layers.

Suggested Duration

Forty-five minutes to an hour covers the main nave, the dome, and the side chapels at a comfortable pace. Add twenty minutes for tapestries or the small museum. Architecture buffs can spend two hours00 hours without running out of details.

Getting There

The Duomo sits in central Como's old town, a five-minute walk from Como San Giovanni train station. Main line from Milano Centrale, roughly forty minutes by regional train, budget-friendly. From Como Lago station on the slower lakefront line, it's three minutes on foot. Arriving by ferry from Bellagio, Varenna, or Menaggio, the cathedral is a short walk from the main passenger pier. You'll see the dome first. Driving in is possible but parking near the historic center is limited and pricey. ATM-run garage at Valduce or lakefront lots are best bets. Most visitors walk from the station. One-way streets in the centro storico are a maze.

Things to Do Nearby

Broletto
The striped marble town hall sits directly beside the cathedral, sharing a wall. The medieval bell tower rises between them. This corner is one of Como's most photographed. Photos flatten the stripe texture. See it in person.
Piazza Cavour and the Lakefront
Leave the cathedral steps, walk two minutes, and the lakefront p you. Ferries dock, alpine views explode across the water. Pair this with the Duomo. Sip espresso, watch boats glide. Decompression complete.
Tempio Voltiano
Neoclassical temple on the promenade honors Alessandro Volta, Como native and battery pioneer. Fifteen-minute stroll from the Duomo. After spotting the Plinys on the cathedral facade, balance faith with science.
Basilica di San Fedele
Slide three blocks behind the Duomo into a pocket-sized medieval square. Romanesque church stands centuries older than its Gothic neighbor. One rounded, austere. One pointed, ornate. Architecture lesson delivered.
Funicular to Brunate
Ten-minute waterfront walk lands you at the funicular station. Quick ascent to Brunate village. From above, gaze down on the cathedral dome and the lake. Late afternoon light paints the rooftops gold. Go then.

Tips & Advice

Visit twice. Morning light streams through the rose window. Late afternoon. Afternoon brings dim chapels and flickering candles. Same stone, two moods. Plan accordingly.
Dress code bites harder here. Shoulders and knees hidden, even in August. Pack a scarf. Problem solved.
Dome acoustics stun. Catch a choir rehearsal or organ practice. Front pew. Sit. Listen. Schedules unpublished. Pure luck.
First sunny day after rain? Skip the cathedral. Every Como resident floods the lakefront. Piazze jam. Return at dawn tomorrow. Bliss.
Side door museum hides in plain sight. Medieval reliquaries and embroidered vestments wait inside. Modest ticket. Twenty minutes well spent.

Tours & Activities at Como Cathedral (Duomo Di Como)

Didn't see anything interesting yet?

Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Como Cathedral (Duomo Di Como).

See All Como Cathedral (Duomo Di Como) Tours on Viator