Best of the Italian Lakes

Lake Como: Shop

Como’s renowned olive oils are made by two principal suppliers. On the lake’s western shore, Vanini Osvaldo (10 Via Silvio Pellico, Lenno; 39-0344/55-127) is a family operation that has been producing fruity, full-flavored oils for more than 150 years. At Azienda Agricola Poppo (Frazione Biosio, Bellano; 39-0341/821-362), on the eastern side, the small-batch oil is known for its pungent, grassy flavor.

Shopping is a spiritual experience at Abbazia di Piona (Loc. Piona, Colico; 39-0341/940-331), an artisanal store run by monks in an 11th-century abbey. Almost everything here is made on site, from the limoncello and mandarin liqueur to beauty products such as beeswax soap.

For decades, tailors at the family-run Orefice (16 Via Regina, Cernobbio; 39-031/512-053) have created made-to-measure wool and linen suits for luminaries including Clark Gable and members of the European aristocracy.