Tempio Voltiano (Volta Temple)
The Tempio Voltiano sits on Como's lakeside promenade looking more like a Roman monument than a museum — which is exactly the point. Architect Federico Frigerio drew directly from the Pantheon: a Corinthian pronaos, a circular hall nearly twelve metres across, a dome with a central light. Inside, the floor is mosaic of marble, onyx, and alabaster, and fifteen display cabinets hold 234 artifacts from Alessandro Volta's working life — the original instruments of a man who invented the first electrical battery here, in this city, and never really left it.
Volta was born in Como in 1745, took his first professorship at the Royal School here in 1774, and retired back to the city in 1819. The temple is, in the most literal sense, a hometown tribute.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to linger over the instrument cabinets longer than expected — not because the labels are riveting, but because the objects themselves are strange and beautiful. Bring a phone for close-up shots of the mosaic floor; the pattern doesn't read well from standing height. On the way out, look left along the promenade toward Daniel Libeskind's 2015 sculpture, Life Electric, on the breakwater.
The story behind Tempio Voltiano (Volta Temple)
A fire in 1899 destroyed a temporary exhibition built to mark the centenary of Volta's voltaic pile — the world's first electrical battery. The loss created a long-running civic ambition for something permanent. As the centenary of Volta's death approached, cotton industrialist and senator Francesco Somaini stepped forward, commissioning and funding an entire building as a gift to the city. Frigerio began construction in 1925 and completed it in 1927; the official inauguration followed on 15 July 1928.
The building took some flooding damage in the mid-twentieth century and was later restored. For seventeen years — from 1984 to 2001 — its profile appeared on the reverse of the Italian 10,000 lire note, Volta's portrait on the other side.
Good to know
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00 in summer (shorter hours in winter); closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is €4. Allow 45 minutes, or up to 90 if you read every cabinet. Como San Giovanni station is well connected to Milan; the temple is a walkable distance along the lake.
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What travellers say about Tempio Voltiano (Volta Temple)
A small museum about Alexander Volta, who was born in Como. In the top floor there are texts that tell about important points in his life, in the ground floor there are various items related to the experiments he did and the inventions he invented - half are the originals that Volta used, half are reconstructions. The texts on the display are written in Italian, but we were given pages with translations. The museum itself is designed in the style of an ancient temple and is very beautiful. Entrance to the museum cost 6 euros for an adult and 3 for a child. There are toilets in the museum, as well as elevator. The employees at the museum are very nice and some of them did speak English well.
I’m an electrician and I would highly recommend you stay away from this site. Do you think they would have a presentation that would enforce the basics of electromagnetism so that when you walk out of this experience, you know a little bit more about Volta and you get a reinforcement of electromagnetism instead they tell right from the beginning. This is the person that dedicated this memorial to Volta so he wanted to be remembered for that and that’s basically it. Don’t waste your time here and don’t waste your money. This isn’t worth €.5.
This is the Tempio Voltiano, one of the most important landmarks in Como, Italy. Who was Alessandro Volta? Alessandro Volta was born in Como in 1745 and is famous for inventing the world’s first electric battery. The electrical unit Volt (V) is named after him. Every time you see 230V on a power outlet or 12V on a car battery, the name comes from Alessandro Volta. What is this building? The Tempio Voltiano was built in 1927 as a museum dedicated to Volta’s life and inventions. Inside, you can find: * Original scientific instruments used by Volta * Early battery models * Personal letters and documents * Historical electrical experiments
I was there in 27th November 2025. I just had plan to travel Lake Como. I started from Chiasso (Switzerland) with my bicycle and then I came here for relaxing and taking photos. I noticed that near to this park, there was a aviation museum or club. There were a couple of aircrafts that they were useful in the sea or lake. This place was inside of the a grand park. A lot of people ( tourists or native italians were hanging around this place. It was autumn but not so cold. Some people was walking with T-shirts. I was lucky person that visiting and hanging in this place. I would like to visit and this time swim again :)
A stunning neoclassical museum beautifully situated right on the edge of Lake Como. It serves as a fascinating tribute to Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electric battery who was born in Como. Inside, you can view an impressive collection of his original scientific instruments, early battery prototypes, and personal belongings. The building itself is an architectural masterpiece, featuring gorgeous marble columns and a magnificent interior dome. It is a quick but highly educational stop that seamlessly combines local history, science, and beautiful lakeside views!
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