Easier said than done. to know so as to keep: dry stone walling on the slope of lake Como.

Whether it is for mapping or setting guidelines for town planners or to highlight the relationship between product and producer, artefact, and craftsman, built and building, much has been written and there is ample experience of the ‘art of dry-stone walling’. There should be no lack of ‘know-how’ in view of this widespread knowledge and frequent training courses throughout Europe. Workshops and educational sites for builders and restorers, owners, administrators, and volunteers have been held for years and the UNESCO 'label' (2018) has boosted them in Italy too, even though not all are technical or operational. Tour organisers offer creative entertainment and experiences, and the art of dry-stone walling is popularized but often underestimated – imitations are frequently not distinguished from the original. This paper, looking at the real product, deals with some critical issues around the lower shores of Lake Como.