Como has the appearance of a mediaeval town; remains of this period are the Baradello tower overlooking the entrance to the city, the fortress walls and three towers surrounding the city with its closely built houses, its narrow streets and stone-paved "piazza" (squares), the "Broletto" the Town tower and the magnificent Cathedral. The construction of this church began in 1396 and lasted four centuries; its structure reflects the artistic life blossomed from Middle Age up to Renaissance and Baroque times.
Among the jewels of Como, one of the better known is probably Villa Olmo. The name, Villa Olmo, is derived from a magnificent hundred-year-old elm which no longer exists. It was built in the neoclassic style by Marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi whose family also produced Pope Innocent XI (1676-1689). The construction of the villa started in 1782 and finished in 1797. The director of the construction was Simone Cantoni, an eminent architect from Ticino who elaborated on the original project drafted by Innocenzo Ragazzoni also from Ticino. Cantoni collaborated with Domenico, Carlo, Luca and Giuseppe Pozzi and the sculptor Francesco Carabelli. A series of historical visits began soon after construction ended. Amongst the illustrious guests, of special note are the visits of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797 and Ugo Foscolo in 1809.
And... by the way, the inventor of the electric battery, Alessandro Volta, was born just in Como, and many of his original tools are on exhibit in the Volta Temple. In 1800, as the result of a professional disagreement over the galvanic response advocated by Luigi Galvani, he developed the so-called voltaic pile, a forerunner of the electric battery, which produced a steady electric current. So, if your laptop is up and running, don't forget that here is where everything begun.

For touristic information and tours & visits of Como and its outskirts you can refer to the official site of the tourism office of Como