Canottieri Lario and its magic on Match Day

A story of passion, history, and hospitality on the shores of Lake Como

“I first walked through that entrance when I was 14 years old.”

“Now I am the President, but I have also been an athlete, a champion, a coach, and a manager. So, I believe I understand this reality deeply, and it means a lot to me. Moreover, my son is also a champion, and I am proud to have passed on this passion to him.”
– Claudio Salvagni, President of Canottieri Lario

For most, history is something to be read. For Claudio Salvagni, it’s something he lives. Every time he steps through the doors of the Canottieri Lario, nestled on the shimmering banks of Lake Como, he relives chapters of a story that began in 1891 — a legacy as much in motion today as the waters their boats still glide across.

Founded by 17 rowing enthusiasts, including the legendary Giuseppe Sinigaglia — who conquered Henley’s Diamond Sculls in 1914 — the Canottieri was never just a club. It was a statement. A declaration of intent from a city steeped in elegance and energy, as comfortable with silk and slow dinners as it is with discipline and drive. To honor Sinigaglia’s prowess, both the association and its striking rationalist-style headquarters, inaugurated in 1931, were named after him. These headquarters, rising like a poem in concrete and glass along Viale Giancarlo Puecher, remain a beacon for Italian rowing today.

But Como is a place of connected passions, and the story of Canottieri cannot be told without Calcio Como. Their fates intertwined quietly in the early 1900s — first when Canottieri members played against Buffalo Bill’s touring team in 1906, and then when, the following year, those same members founded Calcio Como. This shared heartbeat has pulsed through over a century of sport, culminating in events like the 115th anniversary of Calcio Como, which Canottieri Lario proudly hosted in 2022.

Legacies, however, are not built by institutions alone. They are etched into the fibers of individuals — like Livio Prada, who embodied this bond for over seventy years. A silent engine behind the scenes of both Canottieri and Calcio Como, Prada’s devotion spanned roles and decades, his presence as enduring as the view from the Canottieri’s terrace. He passed in 2022 at 92, leaving behind a city stitched tighter by his influence.

Today, Canottieri Lario is a living, breathing cathedral of sport. It has sent athletes to ten Olympic Games, claimed 27 golds at the World Championships, and won over 200 national titles. From the Youth Olympic Games to the European Championships, their trophy cabinets tell a story of excellence without expiration. In recognition of this, honors like CONI’s Golden Star and Collar for Sporting Merit and Como’s Abbondino d’Oro have adorned the club’s résumé — but it is perhaps the Rosa Camuna Award, for shaping the identity of Lombardy, that resonates most.

That identity is one built on shared values with Calcio Como: an obsession with the future, rooted in respect for the past. Both institutions champion youth development — a quiet revolution of ethical education and technical training. In 2017, Canottieri Lario led the national youth rankings, and it continues to serve as a second home for hundreds of young athletes. Under the guidance of mentors and former champions, it’s not just a club — it’s a family.

In 2021, Stefano Fraquelli led the Italian women’s team to Olympic victory. In 2024, he secured qualification for Paris. These are not isolated triumphs — they are echoes of a system, a structure, a philosophy. One where passion meets professionalism, where success is planned as much as it is pursued.

And now, in a twist as poetic as the Lake’s glistening curves, Canottieri Lario is opening its doors in a new way — not just to athletes, but to guests. With sweeping views over Como, the club’s panoramic restaurant has become the beating heart of one of Calcio Como’s most exclusive Hospitality experiences on match day. It’s more than a meal. It’s a moment — where tradition is served alongside Chef Bruno Canali’s refined regional dishes, and sport and style toast to a shared soul.

Following extensive renovations in 2022, the restaurant has managed the delicate task of modernisation without betrayal. Rationalist lines remain; elegance has only been elevated. From the rooftop pool to the terrace that seems to touch the sky, Canottieri Lario isn’t simply a place — it’s a promise. Of quality. Of community. Of continuity.

In Como, things are rarely rushed. Stories are not shouted, they’re whispered over espresso. But Canottieri Lario’s story is not one of silence. It’s one of rhythm, of oars slicing through water, of whistles echoing at dawn, of laughter from the terrace. Of matches played and memories made. It’s history, written anew each day. And now, on match day, guests of Calcio Como can become a part of that story — if only for an afternoon.

For more information:
Viale Giancarlo Puecher 6, Como – https://www.canottierilario.it/
info@canottierilario.it / info@ristorantecanottieri.it
(+39) 031 574720  / (+39) 031 6124189‬ / (+39) 339 7943472