The Bissone altana was originally located in the garden of the Tencalla House, which was just beyond the current Lido, between the main road and the lake. It was moved to its current location in 1961, to prevent the construction of the motorway from compromising its existence. The terrace consists of a lower square structure acting as base for a sort of chapel surrounded by an iron railing.

Of particular interest is the façade of the upper chapel, whose stucco is inlaid with shells, terracotta slag, tuff and white marble. The black background was made using mineral charcoal grains. The triangular tympanum bears the coat of arms of the Tencalla family, recognisable by the three stars on a red background and a tinca (a type of fish) on a green background (now completely invisible), probably dating back to the second half of the 17th century.

Coat of arms of the Tencalla family, with three
stars in the upper part and, below,
a stylised tench (now no longer visible).

The altana, upper part.