Take A Breath Of Lake Como Home After Your Vacation With Italy's Strangest Souvenir

Lake Como, Italy's third-largest lake, is practically a magnet for tourists. It's not just because of the jaw-dropping views or the Instagram-perfect villages like Bellagio, dubbed the Pearl of Lake Como, or perhaps the world-famous Villa d'Este, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's also the celebrity pull — George Clooney's villa is there, and power couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have been spotted vacationing in the area. No wonder 5.6 million people visited in 2023. 

But in case a selfie with the lake's iconic backdrop isn't enough, there's a way to bottle up a piece of Como — literally. A company is selling canned "Lake Como Air" because, apparently, breathing the lake's atmosphere isn't enough — you need to own. And no, this isn't some Etsy joke. Forget keychains or fridge magnets; you can take home a can of oxygen-rich, Clooney-adjacent atmosphere.

This trend isn't even new. Fans have been bottling concert air for years — like when a jar from a Stone Roses gig went for nearly $100,000, or when fans bid over $65,000 for a bag of air from a Kanye West concert. Lake Como Air is practically the same concept, but with a posh Italian twist, and a much lower price point. The catch, however, is that these cans are only available locally, meaning you have to visit the lake to snag one. Unfortunately, they're not sold online, and it's unclear if they will ever be. It's a tongue-in-cheek souvenir for anyone who wants to bring a piece of Lake Como back with them, even if it's just, err, air.

ItalyComunica, the mastermind behind Lake Como Air, is selling the dream of elegance... in a can. Branded as a "luxurious souvenir" on their website, it's designed for anyone yearning to "rediscover the peace and elegance of this heavenly corner." Feeling stressed? Need an Insta-worthy moment of escapism? Pop the lid, take a whiff, and pretend you're lounging lakeside instead of doom-scrolling on your couch. In fact, the company encourages you to take a whiff during times when you need a "moment of escape, tranquility, or simply beauty."

At €9.90 (about $11) per tin, Lake Como Air is available in select shops across the area, particularly in picturesque villages like Como, Cernobbio, Menaggio, Lenno, and Bellano. This brainchild of marketing whiz Davide Abagnale, who started with posters of Lake Como before pivoting to selling canned air, aims to give tourists a slice of the iconic lake to take home. "Our idea is that, for example, a Californian tourist, visiting Lake Como, has on his desk in Los Angeles an object that contains the air of one of the most iconic and visited places in the world, such as Lake Como," he told The Independent. If nothing else, it's a clever way to promote Lake Como tourism.

And sure, the idea might strike some as wildly absurd, especially when Lake Como offers plenty of more traditional souvenirs. But even Mayor Alessandro Rapinese finds the concept amusing. "It's a novel idea, but not for everyone," he shared with CNN. "But as mayor of one of Italy's most beautiful cities, if someone wants to take some of their air home, that's fine as long as they also take beautiful memories of this area."