In addition to the typical Inglesine, this room is also home to old rowboats used for tourism, sport, and, last but not least, smuggling...

In the early 1800s an increasing number of aristocratic families chose the shores of Lake Como for their country homes. Drawn by the mild climate, stunning landscape and gorgeous Como silks, this period also saw the arrival of the first English businessmen.
It was the English who imported their leisure boats which came to be known as Inglesina (or English boat), and were characterised by their particular elegance and new construction techniques.
These boats became all the rage among the owners of the luxurious villas on the lake with the result that the local boatyards converted part of their production capacity to the construction of the Inglesina. The first to follow this trend were the Cranchi and Taroni boatyards. 

A true example of an English-style lancia

A precious boat built in England entirely out of mahogany, this is a true example of an English-style lancia for boating on a pond. It arrived on Lake Como in the 19th century together with a wealthy English family. 

Between the1800s and the 1900s, on the small lakes of Maloja.

The Lake Como boatmen were also in great demand in Switzerland. They were called to manage the boat service on the enchanting lakes of Maloja. The stories of the Ortelli family.

They rowed fast and silently on moonless nights.

The tales of the old lake Como smugglers, their hopes, their fears, and how they built their fast and silent boats.