THE
NORTHERN PART OF LAKE COMO |
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SANTA
MARIA REZZONICO
The Commune is formed by the villages of San Siro and
Rezzonico together with the one of Santa Maria where there
are both the Town Hall and the Parish Church.
The Parish Church of Santa Maria was built between 1464
and 1474 next to the convent of Dominican Friars, although
the tower bell reveals some traces of the Roman era. The
attached Convent, now converted into the Parish house,
has still some unaltered rooms of that time.
The church façade has a very interesting white
marble doorway datable between 1520 and 1530. Of the same
period is the relief of the Madonna with Child placed
next to the left angular pillar. Inside, the church is
characterized by a rich selection of frescoes by Sigismondo
De Magistris, Agostino Calvi and Michelangelo Carminati
of the 16th century as well as some beautiful Baroque
stucco decorations.
Rezzonico and its Medieval Castle.
Placed on a rocky plateau overlooking the lake,
it is one of the alongshore hamlet of the Commune. At
the entrance of the village, some high embattled walls
indicate the way to the castle. This was built in 1300
with different kinds of stones, probably to replace an
more antique building that belonged to the Della Torre
family, and it is sourpassed by an embattled tower with
ogive windows. The ogive front gate is enriched by some
bocks of white marble. Throughout the centuries, the castle
underwent to a number of restorations that kept it in
extremely good order. It is still, as it has always been,
a private residence. The castle front gate opens onto
a small square that houses a little church dedicated to
the Three Wise Men (Magi). The building was restored during
the 1600, but for sure it is of more ancient origins.
By tradition, it is believed that the procession carrying
the relics of the Three Wise Men - that are believed to
have been stolen from Milan and translated to Germany
moved along the ancient via Regina, which connected
Lombardy to Central Europe and Germany. Inside the church,
the main alter piece depicts the Adoration of the ThreeWise
Men. Above it there is a statue of Saint Anthony of Padua
that nowadays is worshipped in the church.
The historical nucleus.Along
the stairway that from the little castle-square leads
down to the lake, the lane is scanned by several arches
that break the path along which open some beautiful and
elegant stone doorways, some of them topped with a family
coat of arms. At the end of the path there is a doorway
bearing the following inscription: Agostino Stoppani
1464. Turning to the left hand side one meets a
polygonal shaped doorway facing the lake and overlooking
the characteristic local small port.
The settlements above Rezzonico.
Climbing along the slopes of Mount Bregnano (2017 m.),
at different heights, one reaches the mountain hamlets
of Rezzonico.
Gallio. Through a
mule trek that leads to an entangled net of lanes running
among some stone houses with flight of stairs and open
terraces, which stand leaning one against the other, one
reaches the settlement of Gallio. Along the path one comes
across a mural painting dating to1840, depicting The Crowing
of the Belssed Virgin, and a little further there is another
mural painting depicting a Madonna with Child. Soon after,
one reaches a small church dedicated to Saint Lucia. On
its façade opens a granite doorway topped with
a niche with a severely damaged wooden statue of Saint
James. In ancient times the church was dedicated to the
Saints Rocco and Sebastian, as it is reported in the documents
of the Bishops pastoral visit in 1599. Inside the
church, on the lateral walls, there are two frescoes dating
to 1580.
San Martino is the
hamlet set half way up the mountain slope from which one
can enjoy a wide panorama over the lake. Amid this settlement
there is the little church mentioned by Bishop Archinti
in 1599. Its barrel-vault has been added later on. Inside
the church one can admire some valuable paintings of the
17th century as well as a cycle of frescoes of counter-
reformation influence, which complex iconography represents
Jesus Resurrection. Some Saints of the local popular
devotion, painted after Morazzone's language translated
by the Fiamminghinos and the Recchis, complete the cycle.
DONGO
The village is situated on the alluvial plain originated
by the Albana River. The most ancient settlement coincides
with the hamlets of San Martino and Barbignano. Being
close to the Mera Valley and to the Saint Jorio pass,
the village had the chance to both industrially and
touristically develop. The economical importance of
the area was well known also in old times. This was
mainly due to the road leading to the Saint Jorio Pass,
which connects Lake Como to Bellinzona, in Swiss territory,
and to Germany. The iron-mines of the area had been
exploited from the 15th up to the 19th century, when
the production of cast-iron was interrupted.
On the 27th April 1945, on the road between Musso and
Dongo, a partisan division captured Benito Mussolini,
Claretta Petacci and some of the Fascist Ministers as
they were attempting to escape to Switzerland. The Fascist
Ministers were taken to Palazzo Manzi where they were
immediatedly judged and executed, while Mussolini and
Petacci were taken to Mezzegra where they spent their
last night at Casa De Maria to be executed on the following
morning, 28th April 1945. Dongo Town Hall houses a small
photograph museum that documents these events.
The austere front of Palazzo Manzi dominates Parravicinio
Square. The building was built in 1824 and Giuseppina
Manzi gave it to the Commune in 1937. On request it
is possible to visit the so called Golden Room with
some frescoes by Giuseppe Lavelli. Form the square it
is possible to reach the Ancient Via Regina that leads
to Barbignano, where the path mounts up to reach the
Regina Bridge to go down again into the valley crossing
the hamlets of Campiedi, Mellia and Mossanzonico. Here,
taking to the right hand side one reaches the so called
Casa del Cardinale (the Cardinal House) characterized
by a fresco of the 1500 depicting a vintage allegory.
It is possible that the house belonged to the Medici
Family (not related to the Florentine one). A little
further down there is a Renaissance building that belonged
to the Marquis of Marignano.
GRAVEDONA
It is the most important settlement of the northern
part of Lake Como. It is set on a wide harbour between
the slopes of Mount Sasso Pelo and the alluvial plain
of the Liro River. Facing Gravedona, on the opposite
bank of the lake, at the foot of Mount Legnone which
widespreads to reach the entrance of Valtellina, there
is the peninsula of Piona with its beautiful Medieval
Cistercian Abbey. As to witness the existence of a pre-Roman
settlement, along the Ancient Via Regina some Gauls
tombs with many archaeological items were found. The
churches of Santa Maria del Tiglio and of San Vincenzo
preserve a number of archaeological items belonging
to the Roman era.
The Church of Santa Maria del
Tiglio. It is the most original Romanesque
building in Como Area. It was built in the late 1100
on a pre-existing Paleo-Christian Baptistery to which
belong the relives, now embodied into the facade above
the doorway, together with a font and some pieces of
the floor inside the church.
The Parish Church of San Vincenzo.
It is a Romanesque building erected in 1072 on a pre-existing
church. Its detached Baptistery was later transformed
into the Church of Santa Maria del Tiglio. It is possible
that its crypt dedicated to Saint Abbondio - probably
the original church - had been raised because of the
frequent over flooding of the lake. The crypt floor
and some other items rescued on the spot belong to a
previous Roman pagan temple. Between 1600 and 1726,
the church was completely restructured with the addition
of the porticos that join the church to the oratories
of San Michele and Saint Maria at both sides of the
main building, which were used as Lazarettos (hospitals)
during the great plague in 1628.
Palazzo Gallio. It
was built for Cardinal Gallio - to whom was given the
Feud of Gravedona in 1528- on the spot where once there
was the ancient Castle of Gravedona. The palace was
built between 1586 and 1587 and consists in a massif
structure with four towers at each angle to remind the
antique vocation of the place. Gravedona houses many
important and beautiful Romanesque churches spread all
over its territory. We advise a conducted tour to visit
them. For booking call Cooperativa Imago at Dongo. Tel.
(0039) 0344 82572.
GERA
LARIO
The village is set on the northern most end of Lake
Como, on an alluvial plain surrounded by the Mesolcina
Mountains and nearby the meadows of Pian di Spagna,
a protected oasis where it is possible to practise bird
watching.
Of great historical value are the Roman remains preserved
at Gera. Among them it is possible to see a stele -
now embodied into the left hand side post of the frontal
doorway of Saint Vincent's Church - dedicated to the
memory of Lucio Duazio Valentino, a young boy who died
in the 3rd century a. C.
Between 1964 and 1965, during some works made inside
the church, some pieces of a mosaic floor dating to
the 2nd century a.C. and now visible in the first right
hand side chapel, were discovered. It was also possible
to prove the existence of a previous Romanesque church
built upon a Roman building, of which it was found part
of the mosaic floor. In Renaissance, the development
of the area is not only proved by the many important
frescoes inside the church, but also by several mural
painting on the external front of the houses grouped
along the ancient Via Regina and documented since 1500.
In front of the church built in 1634, and now dedicated
to the Blessed Virgin of Fatima, the ancient Via Regina
widens to form a small square where the village public
meetings were held throughout the 1300. Of the 17th
century is the small Stronghold on the River Adda; a
rectangular building which was ment to support the Fortress
of Fuentes (Forte di Fuentes) that was built during
the Spanish domination of Lombardy. It is now possible
to visit the ruins of Forte di Fuentes. For information
please get in touch with Colico Town Hall (Province
of Lecco).
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