Tempio Voltano ☆☆☆

This circular Neoclassical temple in the lakeside Giardini Pubblici gardens houses memorabilia on the life and experiments of native son and electricity pioneer Alessandro Volta (1745-1827), who invented the battery in 1800, whereupon a suitable impressed Emperor Napoléon made him a count and Senator for the Kingdom of Lombardy.

Eighty years later, the scientific community adopted his name for the official measure of electrical units.

(Before all that, in 1776, Volta first made a name for himself by discovering and isolating methane gas.)

That 16.5m (54-foot) tall curvy, pointy, shiny silver sculpture you see out at the end of the breakwater in Como's harbor is also in honor of Volta: "The Life Electric," designed by Daniel Libeskind in 2015.  

If you are interested in seeing the Torre Gattoni—the medieval tower where Volta conducted his experiments—it marks the SW corner of the historic center at the intersection of Viale Varese and Via Cattaneo. Fun (and totally appropriate) fact: It was the city's main electrical substation from 1930–58. No admission (usually), but there's a nice coffee kiosk nearby.