Since the late 19th century, Lake Como has been a favored destination for a burgeoning national and international tourism. Its shores, villages, and surrounding natural landscapes offered a haven of superb beauty, tranquility, and culture away from the daily life of the city. To promote the lake’s image as an elegant and exclusive resort, posters, flyers, and postcards were produced, which this volume aims to collect and present to readers. These materials possess great communicative power, characterized by bright, cheerful, and elegant images that blend art nouveau influences with artistic references, often the fruit of the creativity of the greatest illustrators of the era. This book recounts the legend of Lake Como, offering a highly evocative glimpse into Italian society at the turn of the century.

Tremezzo (Villa Carlotta), July – September 2012