Description: In spirit, the Tempio Voltiano is more shrine than museum, dedicated to one of Como's favorite sons, Alessandro Volta. Volta was a philosopher, scientist, and politician in the late 1700s to early 1800s. He is most famously known for his creation of the voltaic pile (the world's first battery) and is remembered today as the namesake of the "volt". Il Tempio Voltiano contains a sizeable collection of Volta's tools, and apparatus, including that groundbreaking battery. The collection also includes a disturbing number of frog legs - apparently they were involved in many of his early experiments, and they've been lovingly preserved for posterity.
At one time this was a temporary exhibit, only brought out for festivals and fairs. After a close call involving a fire, someone decided that a permanent building was needed. With the outward appearance of a Greek temple, and its location in a pretty little park on the shores of Lake Como, this tiny museum could not ask to be more picturesque. The interior of the building is no less lovely for the thick layer of dust that blankets the exhibits; Il Tempio Voltiano is a bit off the beaten tourist track, to say the least.
When we arrived to complete our pilgrimage, I think we startled the guard on duty - we got the feeling that he wasn't used to having visitors. We had to let him know what the admission price was (1.5 Euros/person), and he handed us a couple of loaner English guides and went back to watching his soccer game. The hours are: 10am-12pm and 3pm-6pm from April-October, closed Mondays. To find information on the web, try
Como's website - I personally have yet to get the "English" link to work.
If you're headed to Como, and want to stop in, I recommend it - it's a cool spot in the heat of summer at the very least. And maybe, if you're a nerd like me and the hubbie, you might just enjoy yourself.
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