Finally, in the 18th century, peace returned to the lake. This century witnessed the construction of sumptuous villas, neoclassical residences with charming gardens. There was a consequential need for elegant craft which were purely for the purpose of pleasure boating.
Some Venetian boatbuilders settled on Lake Como and among these was one
Ferdinando Taroni, whose family was probably originally from Carate Lario and had emigrated to Venice around the year 1400.
Taroni opened his boatyard in Carate Lario in the year 1790. In the manifesto which he published he guaranteed that he was able to build any kind of boat, having learned the craft in the arsenale in Venice under the supervision of the conservatore dei pubblici modelli Angelo Albanese.
It soon became apparent that the Venetian gondola had its limits. In order to satisfy the particular requirements of Lake Como, what was needed was a more powerful boat with a rudder, and above all, the hull had to lose the asymmetry typical of the gondola.
The master boatbuilders of Lake Como learn, assimilate and adapt. The Venetian gondola evolved into a boat that had little in common with the original, being far more robust and suited to the waters of Lake Como, and yet managed to retain all its elegance.
Lario
This motorboat shows the elegance and the style of the Taroni boatyard. She was part of the universal expo in Brussels in 1910.
The Besanina
The curious story of the Besanina boat, its owner and his eccentric wife.
Villa Passalaqua
The motorboat of Villa Passalaqua, historic residence that hosted Napoleon Bonaparte and inspired the music of Vincenzo Bellini.