City Walls, Como

City Walls in Como

Como City Walls
CC BY-SA 4.0 / WeRoof

The city of Como, rich in history, boasts impressive city walls that reflect its strategic importance through the ages. The original fortifications date back to 51 BCE when Julius Caesar fortified Como, recognizing its strategic position. However, only a few remnants of these Roman walls remain today. The more prominent walls that visitors see were commissioned by Holy Roman Emperor Federico Barbarossa in 1158, built just beyond the Roman originals. These walls, which took thirty years to complete, have seen various modifications over centuries until the city council decided in 1975 to preserve them in their current form without further changes.

Como’s geographical location as a gateway to the Splügen Pass over the Alps played a crucial role in the preservation of these medieval walls, unlike many other Lombardy cities where fortifications were demolished. The city’s walls provided protection against military invasions and served as a means to control trade by imposing taxes on goods passing through Como. This strategic location allowed Como to flourish, especially during peaceful times, by leveraging its position to exact duties from traders, a practice that often led to conflicts with neighboring Milan.

The walls and fortifications evolved significantly over the centuries, especially during the early medieval period when the city was frequently threatened by invading armies. The Byzantine period saw further enhancements to the city’s defenses, including the construction of new towers and a deep ditch around the perimeter. The importance of these defenses continued under various rulers, including the Lombards and later the Holy Roman Empire, as Como’s strategic significance remained high, especially during conflicts such as the Ten Years War with Milan in the 12th century.

During the later medieval period, Como’s walls and fortifications were further strengthened by various rulers, including the Visconti family, who built an internal citadel to protect the city’s elite. However, the defensive role of the walls gradually diminished over time, especially during the 17th and 18th centuries when Como experienced relative peace. The walls eventually lost their military significance, becoming more of a symbolic boundary rather than a defensive structure. Today, the walls of Como stand as a testament to the city’s rich historical past, with structures like the Porta Torre being the last remaining gateway from the medieval fortifications commissioned by Federico Barbarossa.

The City Walls, Como appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Como!

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