Lake Como

Lake Como
Panoramic view of Lake Como with the Alps and Bellagio
Lake Como is located in Lombardy
Lake Como
Lake Como
LocationLombardy, Italy
Coordinates46°00′N 9°16′E / 46.000°N 9.267°E / 46.000; 9.267
Primary inflowsAdda, Mera
Primary outflowsAdda
Catchment area4,509 km2 (1,741 sq mi)[1]
Basin countriesItaly, Switzerland
Max. length46 km (29 mi)
Max. width4.5 km (2.8 mi)
Surface area146 km2 (56 sq mi)
Average depth154 m (505 ft)[1]
Max. depth425 m (1,394 ft)
Water volume22.5 km3 (18.2 million acre⋅ft)
Residence time5.5 years[1]
Shore length1160 km (99 mi)
Surface elevation198 m (650 ft)[1]
IslandsIsola Comacina
SettlementsComo, Lecco (see section)
References[1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Como (Italian: Lago di Como [ˈlaːɡo di ˈkɔːmo], locally [ˈkoːmo][a]), also known as Lario,[b] is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy.

It has an area of 146 square kilometres (56 sq mi), making it the third-largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore. At over 400 metres (1,300 ft) deep, it is the fifth-deepest lake in Europe and the deepest outside Norway; the bottom of the lake is 227 metres (745 ft) below sea level. One notable characteristic is its distinctive "Y" shape.

Lake Como has been a popular retreat for aristocrats and wealthy people since Roman times, and a very popular tourist attraction with many artistic and cultural gems. It has many villas and palaces such as Villa Olmo, Villa Serbelloni and Villa Carlotta. Many famous people have owned homes on the shores of Lake Como, including George Clooney, Madonna and Donatella Versace.

In 2014, The Huffington Post described it as the most beautiful lake in the world for its microclimate and environment with prestigious villas and villages.[2]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Laghi italiani". Istituto Italiano di Idrobiologia. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2006.
  2. ^ "The World's 20 Most Beautiful Lakes". The Huffington Post. 2014. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.


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