New Scientology Mission of Como Graces Northern Italy’s Elegant Lakeside Retreat

In a villa overlooking Lake Como, in a Northern Italian community synonymous with style, the Church of Scientology Mission of Como celebrated its transformation to Ideal.

Take off from the noise and bustle of Milan and, a mere hour away, up narrow winding roads to the foothills of the Alps, lies Lake Como—the jewel of the lake district of Northern Italy. Here, amid graceful fountains, tree-lined lanes and steep cobblestoned paths is the newest star in the constellation of Ideal Scientology Missions: the Church of Scientology Mission of Como.

Scientology Missions form the vanguard of the Scientology religion, providing the full array of basic and introductory Scientology services and Scientology auditing (spiritual counseling) to the state of Clear. The new Ideal Scientology Mission of Como serves as the physical embodiment of Scientology technology in its mission to make spiritual freedom available to all.

To the lyrical strains of harp and violin, dignitaries and guests joined Mission staff and parishioners on a crisp autumn afternoon, September 30, for the dedication of the new Ideal Church of Scientology Mission of Como.

Gracing the podium and welcoming the Mission to its ideal home were Dr. Claudio Palma, MD; Mr. Alessandro Rampoldi, CEO of the Alecom publishing management company; and Ms. Ketty Carraffa, journalist, author, TV and radio presenter.

Mission Director Teresa Maiello set the tone of the celebration when she spoke of the Mission’s purpose: to bring spiritual help to the people who are working to create a better community in this area of ​​Northern Italy. “When a person is more able, more confident, more in communication with their environment and themselves, that person can create a better future and better conditions. The Scientology religion has the knowledge and tools to make each person the king and queen of their own destiny.”

Dr. Palma spoke of his discovering the Purification Program developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard when the Mission asked him to give a doctor’s authorization for a parishioner wishing to take part in the program. “In treating patients, I see a variety of problems,” said Dr. Palma. “Learning about the program, I was delighted to find Mr. Hubbard had discovered a method to free the body of the harmful effects of drugs and toxins. This was groundbreaking.

“Since then, I have seen so many people enthusiastic to live a better life by undergoing this program. One for one they express the change in their quality of life as a result. I am extremely happy to see that this new Mission building provides greatly expanded Purification facilities. This will allow more individuals to receive this vital program. And the more people receive it, the better off this society will be, because those who undergo the Purification Program are brighter, more alert and happier. And that alone will create a more productive and sane society.”

As a successful businessman and entrepreneur, Mr. Rampoldi was fascinated when a friend introduced him to L. Ron Hubbard’s Administrative Technology. “This body of knowledge is a gift to help groups and organizations expand and prosper,” he said. “From there I started to discover Scientology and all that it actually represents. If I had to summarize what I learned, I could say that before Scientology I looked at the world from the keyhole. And then I discovered that, in reality, the door was wide open and gave a wider, complete, interesting and more engaging view of the partial and conditioned vision I had through the keyhole.

“I think there cannot be peace if Man is not able to understand the real source of his fears, cruelty and lack of trust in his fellow man. But now we have a path to reach that peace. It is Scientology.”

Ms. Ketty Carraffa has long worked promoting human rights with the Church of Scientology Milan and the Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance of Italy. “I believe in positive values, and for many years I have been educating people on communication and rights of women and children, which are unfortunately increasingly denied all over the world. You have the best materials to raise awareness of human rights. Making these rights known to youth is essential to creating a better future where we may all live together with mutual respect.”

The 4,500-square-foot villa of the Church of Scientology Mission of Como looks out over one of Italy’s most famous lakes in the trendy Zona Spina Verde. Inside, a serene palette of muted grays, gold and cream complements the polished wood floors. The winding terrazzo staircase lined with wrought iron grillwork leads gracefully up to the rooms set aside for introductory courses and auditing.

For more than three decades, parishioners and staff have worked to better the community through drug education, human rights awareness campaigns and weekly cleanups of local streets and parks.

Visitors to the Mission of Como are welcome to tour the Public Information Display, featuring multimedia presentations of the basic beliefs and practices of Dianetics and Scientology as well as the life and legacy of L. Ron Hubbard.

As an Ideal Church of Scientology Mission, Como is equipped with every facility needed to provide the full array of introductory Scientology services. These include the popular Life Improvement Courses through which anyone may find workable solutions to common challenges of everyday life—such as how to improve a marriage, successfully raise children, increase personal motivation or set and achieve goals.

The new Mission also offers seminars on a wide range of topics, including personal efficiency. The Hubbard Dianetics Seminar is based on Mr. Hubbard’s watershed work Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, the bestselling book that reveals the source of one’s nightmares, unreasonable fears and irrational behavior—the reactive mind—and how to conquer it.

The Church of Scientology Mission of Como joins the roster of recent Ideal Church of Scientology Missions opened in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Senigallia, Italy; Taichung, Taiwan; and Košice, Slovakia. Many more are set to open across North and South America, Europe and Asia in the coming year.