Duomo and Broletto Palace in black-and-white marble make an impressive architectural study (see www.cattedraledicomo.it/index.php/en/) but modern Como (an old silk-weaving town) is big, untidy and commercial. The front is pleasant enough, the ferryboats come and go, the Brunate funicular ascends to a splendid viewpoint above the lake. At Cernobbio, 5 km north, the gardens of Villa d’Este (now a luxury hotel) retain some of the glory of a no-expense-spared Renaissance showpiece, complete with follies and fountains, pergolas and pavilions.