Roman grid, medieval walls and Porta Torre in 1.5 hours
Photo: Bryan Brittos · Unsplash License · source
Why go
Como was founded by the Romans as Novum Comum in the 1st century BC, and its grid of perpendicular streets can still be read in the old town. The Roman walls were destroyed by Milan in 1127. Como then allied with Frederick Barbarossa and rebuilt them in the second half of the 12th century. Three of the four sides still stand, and the old town is largely pedestrian, which makes it easy to explore on foot.
The walk is compact and varied. You pass the lakefront at Piazza Cavour, follow Como's main shopping street, Via Vittorio Emanuele II, to the Cathedral and the Broletto, cross to the Renaissance houses of Piazza San Fedele, and finish at Porta Torre, a 40-metre gate built to face the road to Milan. Allow about an hour and a half, plus stops.
Gallery
Photo: Bryan Brittos · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Elizabeth Cullen · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Holiplanet · © Holiplanet
Photo: Dawid Tkocz · Unsplash License · source
Photo: Nazrin Babashova · Unsplash License · source
Photo: real_ jansen · Unsplash License · source
Highlights
Built in 1192 and about 40 metres tall, this Romanesque gate of Moltrasio stone is the only surviving gateway of Barbarossa's walls. The outer face is massive, with two arches. On the city side, four levels of paired arches mark the floors that were lost. It stands on Piazza Vittoria, at the end of Via Cesare Cantù.
The medieval circuit runs from Torre Gattoni, beside Porta Nuova and linked to Alessandro Volta's early electrical experiments, to Torre San Vitale in the south-east. In 1783 the Comune bought the walls, filled the moat and planted tree avenues, and in 1975 the council decided that no more changes should be made.
Como's main shopping street leads from the lakefront at Piazza Cavour towards the Cathedral. Piazza Duomo was the medieval civic and religious centre. The Cathedral, begun in 1396, combines late Gothic and later styles, and the old street grid around it is a good place to slow down.
Next to the Cathedral, the Broletto was the seat of the commune in the 13th century, and a plaque suggests it was completed in 1215 under the podestà Bernardo da Codazzo. Its façade is clad in alternating white, grey and red marble. Rising lake levels forced the street to be raised, which left the pillars shorter than they were.
The old food market square has Renaissance houses with wooden overhangs and the Romanesque Basilica of San Fedele, with its famous portal sculptures. From there, Via Balestra leads to Torre San Vitale, and Via Cesare Cantù runs towards Porta Torre, passing the Baroque church of Santa Cecilia.
Practical information
The old town is a public, pedestrian area, open at any time. Churches and museums along the route keep their own hours. A 2023 local news report said the passage under Porta Torre had been closed since April 2022 after a stone fell from the tower, and that the Comune planned to reopen towers and walls; I could not confirm the current status in 2026, so check on site.
Free: the walls, streets and squares are in public space. Entry to the Cathedral, museums and other buildings on the route is separate.
Checked in November 2026. Hours and fees can change: check on the day before you go.
Getting there
The walk starts at the lakefront, Piazza Cavour, and the old town begins a few steps inland. Porta Torre is about 10 minutes on foot from the Cathedral.
Trenord train to Como San Giovanni (about 40 minutes from Milano Porta Garibaldi) or to Como Nord Lago (about 1 hour from Milano Cadorna). Both stations are a short walk from the walls.
Boats from the lake towns arrive at Como's lakefront, next to Piazza Cavour. Navigazione Laghi announced on its site that the arrival and departure piers in Como change from 3 November 2026, so check the current pier before you go.
The walled city is pedestrian. Park outside the walls and walk in.
Insider tips
Start at Piazza Cavour, walk up Via Vittorio Emanuele II to Piazza Duomo, loop through Piazza San Fedele and end at Porta Torre. A local guide gives about an hour and a half, plus time for stops.
The outside face is massive and austere, while the city side shows four levels of arches. Walk round it: the tower looks like two different buildings from each side.
The passage under Porta Torre was reported closed from April 2022, and the Comune said barriers would go. Check on site whether you can walk through, or simply admire it from the square.
The Comune approved a project to light the medieval walls between Torre Gattoni and Torre San Vitale, through Porta Torre. If it is installed, an evening stroll is worth it.
Nearby
From the Lake Como City Guide, each with its own Holiplanet page. Straight-line distances.
Restaurant · 0.6 km
Apulian family recipes and fresh fish, served in the centre of Como a few steps from the lake.
Discover more →Restaurant · 1.3 km
A first-floor restaurant with a panoramic terrace right on Lake Como, serving revisited Mediterranean cooking with Lariana traditions.
Discover more →Restaurant · 1.3 km
A seafood restaurant in an old Como silk mill, where the day's catch meets an open grill and a warm family welcome.
Discover more →Restaurant · 2.0 km
A rooftop restaurant and lounge bar at Hilton Lake Como, open all year with a glass-walled greenhouse and views over the lake.
Discover more →Hotel · 0.7 km
A three-star hotel in a neoclassical building on Piazza Volta
View hotel →Hotel · 0.7 km
A city-centre hotel on Piazza Cavour, right by the lake boats
View hotel →Hotel · 0.8 km
A Liberty-style palazzo on the lakefront in the historic centre of Como
View hotel →Hotel · 0.8 km
A grand Liberty-style palazzo in Como's historic centre
View hotel →All hotels on the Lake Como map → All things to do on the map →
Questions
The Roman walls date to the foundation of Novum Comum in the 1st century BC. Milan destroyed them in 1127. The medieval walls were built in the second half of the 12th century with the support of Frederick Barbarossa, and Porta Torre is dated 1192.
About 40 metres. It is a square Romanesque tower built in 1192 from Moltrasio stone, with two arches on the outer face and four levels of paired arches on the city side. It stands on Piazza Vittoria, at the end of Via Cesare Cantù.
A local itinerary from Piazza Cavour via Via Vittorio Emanuele II, Piazza Duomo, the Broletto, Piazza San Fedele and Via Cantù to Porta Torre takes about 1.5 hours, plus stops. You can shorten it by skipping the walls or extend it with a visit to the Cathedral.
The Broletto is the medieval town hall beside the Cathedral. It housed the commune's assemblies, courts and archives from the 13th century, and a plaque suggests completion in 1215. The façade is clad in white, grey and red marble.
Yes. The streets, squares and walls are free, and the old town is largely pedestrian. Only individual buildings, such as the Cathedral or the museums, have their own opening hours and tickets.
