▁ ▁History ▁The ▁first ▁certain ▁testim ony ▁of ▁a ▁political ▁body ▁gover ning ▁the ▁sh ores ▁of ▁the ▁lake ▁is ▁from ▁ 8 1 8 . ▁Occ up ying ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁strateg ic ▁importance , ▁the ▁lake ▁was ▁then ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁domin ion ▁of ▁the ▁County ▁of ▁S per io . ▁Cir ca ▁ 1 0 0 0 , ▁it ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Como . ▁The ▁region ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁between ▁Como ▁and ▁Milan ▁over ▁control ▁of ▁Al pine ▁traffic ▁from ▁ 1 2 1 8 ▁to ▁ 1 2 2 7 . ▁As ▁the ▁lake ▁and ▁its ▁sh ores ▁became ▁progress ively ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Milan ▁they ▁became ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁political ▁and ▁territorial ▁cont ention ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁and ▁L ug ano ▁became ▁the ▁lake ' s ▁main ▁town . ▁ ▁The ▁lake ▁definit ively ▁ceased ▁to ▁belong ▁to ▁a ▁single ▁so ver eign ▁political ▁entity ▁following ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁trans al pine ▁b ail i wick s ▁of ▁the ▁Swiss ▁cant ons ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century . ▁The ▁Italian - Sw iss ▁border ▁was ▁fixed ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 2 ▁by ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Var ese , ▁and ▁has ▁since ▁remained ▁virt ually ▁un changed . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 8 , ▁the ▁Mel ide ▁cause way ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁a ▁m ora ine ▁between ▁Mel ide