The Curse of Locanda
Late the next morning, a motorboat drops me off
on the only island of Lake Como, Comacina. The
island is so tiny I can walk completely around it
in less than fifteen minutes. Except for a few
artist’s cottages, the only building on the island is
Locanda Restaurant, which has served the same
menu six days a week since 1947. The all-you-
can-eat feast includes typical authentic platters of
antipastos and main dishes served with Italian
white wine. I gorge on prosciutto and Bresaola,
fresh trout, free range chicken, and a wheel of
Parmigiano-Reggiano larger than a car tire.
During dessert, owner Benvenuto Puricelli pours
enough brandy into a huge copper pot of coffee to
flood Lake Como. He sets the mixture on fire, and
as the hot orange flames lick up to the ceiling, he
tells us that this fire ritual will undo a mysterious
curse cast upon the island in 1169. He tells us a
long confusing story of the curse, but by that
time, I am so full of wine and brandy coffee, I’ll
believe anything he says.
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THE AFFLUENT TRAVELER
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Feature Story
Feature Story
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Villa del Balbianello
Overlooking Lake Como, Villa del Balbianello
can only be reached by boat. Originally, it was an
18th century rest home for Franciscan monks.
The last owner, Guido Monzino (leader of the
first Italian expedition to climb Mount Everest)
bought the villa in 1974 and filled it with
important collections of Chinese, African,
pre-Columbian art, and 18th century English and
French furniture. In 1988, Villa del Balbianello
became part of the Italian Trust. It’s now open to
visitors, and has been seen in many films
including
Star Wars
and
Casino Royale.
While
the interior is beautiful, the three-level terraced
Italian garden at the edge of the lake is
magnificent.
Sala Comacina lies on the western shore of
Lake Como between Como and Menaggio,
in front of Isola Comacina.
Photo by mervas/shutterstock.com
Photo by Mor65/istock.com
