Palazzo Lambertenghi

Palazzo Lambertenghi is a noble palace in Como, formed by joining several pre-existing buildings in the early seventeenth century. Construction was still underway in 1618. The Lambertenghi family owned the property until the eighteenth century, followed by the Guaita, Lucini Passalacqua, and Galli di Rondineto families. Twentieth-century renovations removed most of its original seventeenth-century decoration.

One important survival is the Sala Recchi, a ground-floor reception room facing the garden. Giambattista and Gianpaolo Recchi painted its frescoed ceiling. Through trompe-l’œil, the compact room appears to open onto a rectangular piece of sky. Ten illuminated niches hold classical figures around the painted opening. Aurora crosses the centre in her chariot, marking time from dawn to dusk. Roman gods represent the weekdays through their attributes and costumes. Earth, wind, fire, and water occupy the walls and corners. Their pairings point towards Brunate, Milan’s trade connections, the water source, and Spanish power in Como.

The Recchi brothers belonged to the early Lombard Baroque and worked at several Como landmarks. Most other original decoration has disappeared through later renovations. Because the palace remains privately owned, the interior and gardens are not regularly open. Special Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano events have sometimes opened the Sala Recchi. The ceiling’s false sky turns a small reception room into a symbolic map of Como.