The charm of Como is not only on the lakefront promenades or the grand piazzas that welcome visitors with cafés and monuments. Much of its identity hides behind walls and gates, where centuries-old courtyards and gardens remain out of sight. These secret spaces, scattered throughout the historic center, speak of another Como—private, intimate, and steeped in memory. To wander the narrow streets of the old town is to walk past dozens of doors that conceal tiny universes, each with its own rhythm, colors, and history.
A city of courtyards
Como has always been a city of merchants and artisans. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the prosperity of silk trade made the town a hub of commerce, attracting noble families who built elegant residences within the protective ring of its walls. These palaces were not just façades: their real life unfolded around courtyards. Some courtyards were practical, designed as working spaces where raw silk was dyed, stretched, and dried. Others were expressions of wealth and power—ornate loggias with carved capitals, stone wells, and frescoes that welcomed guests in style.
Even today, walking down Via Natta or Via Vittorio Emanuele, one can sense the presence of these hidden structures. Sometimes a gate left ajar reveals a glimpse: a cobbled square with a climbing vine, an old fountain still murmuring, a balcony lined with terracotta pots. The sensation is that of entering another dimension, quieter and more human than the busy streets outside.
Gardens behind the walls
If courtyards offered functionality, gardens offered beauty. In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Como’s noble families competed to design the most elegant green retreats within their walls. These were places for leisure, conversation, and contemplation. Orange and lemon trees were prized for their rarity in a northern climate, roses and jasmines perfumed the air, and small fountains brought the sound of water to spaces otherwise wrapped in silence.
Some of these gardens still survive. They are usually hidden behind heavy gates and stone walls, visible only during cultural events or on special occasions. During FAI Days (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), locals and visitors are sometimes allowed into normally private spaces, discovering manicured lawns, climbing wisteria, and corners that seem suspended in time. A few boutique hotels and restaurants also occupy historic palaces, offering the privilege of dining or staying in settings where these gardens are part of the daily experience.
Where to find traces today
Though secrecy is part of their essence, a few areas are particularly rich in hidden courtyards. Around Piazza San Fedele, the medieval heart of Como, narrow alleys open onto gates that lead to houses with arches and loggias still intact. Near the Cathedral, the imposing palaces of Via Maestri Comacini and Piazza Duomo hide courtyards decorated with stone details, reminders of a time when architecture balanced utility and elegance. In some cases, courtyards became workshops for artisans, and their traces can still be read in worn stones and old wooden doors.
One of the most fascinating aspects is how these spaces are still lived in. Residents hang laundry across arcades, bicycles lean against centuries-old walls, and cats stretch lazily on sun-warmed stones. The layering of history and daily life makes these courtyards alive, not just relics.
The art of secrecy
Part of the allure lies in their inaccessibility. The architecture of Como’s old town was designed to create strong contrasts: the streets were narrow and sometimes chaotic, but once a door opened, the courtyard offered calm, order, and beauty. This separation between public and private was intentional, protecting families from noise while allowing them to cultivate spaces of intimacy. Entering a courtyard today feels like stepping behind the city’s mask, encountering a more authentic and slower rhythm.
Cultural events as opportunities
For those who wish to experience these spaces, patience and timing are key. Events like “Ville Aperte in Brianza” or FAI’s Spring and Autumn Days often open private houses, including courtyards in Como’s center. Guided tours organized by local associations sometimes include stops in semi-public courtyards where visitors can admire frescoed walls or discover wells that once provided families with water. Even walking attentively can pay off: a gate left open by chance can transform an ordinary stroll into a small adventure of discovery.
The sensory experience
To stand in a hidden courtyard is to notice details that escape in the open streets. The echo of footsteps against stone, the trickle of water from an old basin, the scent of flowers climbing along walls. Light filters differently, softer and fragmented, as it bounces off enclosed surfaces. The atmosphere is intimate, a pocket of silence in the heart of the city. In gardens, seasonal changes add another layer: spring brings color and fragrance, summer shade and coolness, autumn falling leaves, and winter a bare, austere beauty.
A bridge between past and present
These hidden spaces also remind us of Como’s layered identity. The city is often celebrated for its lake and its role in tourism, yet it is also a place of work, tradition, and resilience. Courtyards and gardens have survived wars, industrialization, and modernization. They remain as witnesses of centuries, adapted to new uses but still carrying the imprint of those who built them. Today, they are homes, studios, or restaurants, yet they still retain a timeless aura that connects past and present.
Timeless fascination
The secret courtyards and gardens of Como are not always easy to see, and perhaps that is their greatest strength. They resist mass tourism, revealing themselves only to those willing to look closer, slower, and with curiosity. They embody a truth about the city: that its beauty is not only on the surface, but also in the intimacy of hidden corners.
For travelers, they are an invitation to go beyond the postcard view. For locals, they are a reminder of heritage woven into daily life. And for everyone, they are proof that even in a city as well-known as Como, there are always stories waiting behind a gate, waiting to be discovered.
