Museum of Boating Heritage on Lake Como

A museum dedicated to the long history of boating on Lake Como has brought together more about 150 examples of various water-faring vessels under one roof.

The museum brings together various displays to highlight the nautical traditions of the lake, in large part thanks to participation by the local population who contributed photos and items, along with their stories and memories to record and preserve these important pages of Lake Como history.

The museum is housed in a former mill building, fascinating in itself as an old factory facility, and is displayed in 14 rooms. Here you'll find about 160 boats, each having played a part in the history of the lake in some way. Among the more interesting items in the collection, you'll find a Venetian gondola built on Lake Como in the 1800s, an English Cisco, and a fast flared-bow boat used by smugglers. There are plenty of gondolas, pleasure boats, ferries and commerce barges, as well, along with photos and accessories that help narrate the history and eras of water-faring on Lake Como.

The museum is open by appointment.

(The Museo della Barca Lariana is located right next to our beautiful lakefront property Villa Guerina.)