monuments near Varenna
High on the road is the sanctuary of the Madonna of Peace, erected in 1659 to celebrate the peace of Pirenei, which ended the Thirty Year War between the French and Spaniards. Characteristic is the Romanesque hanging bell (sec. XIII), and in the...
This parish church rebuilt between 1725 and 1738, is a remarkable example of Baroque art. Inside, in addition to the frescoes of Luigi Tagliaferro, is a valuable painting of the "Madonna of the Seven Sorrows" and a wooden statue of Lorenzo Matieli...
In 1688, a plaster relief of the Madonna of Sorrows kept in the small chapel of Lezzeno is said to have cried. And thus, in 1690 a Sanctuary was built in her honour. The work designed by Giovanni Battista Quadrio, was completed in 1704. Today we can...
We are part of the Anglican Church, belonging to the Diocese in Europe but we welcome all visitors of the Christian faith to our services of Holy Communion. These are held every Sunday at 10.30 am from the beginning of May to the end of October....
The parish church is located next to the historical centre of the village of Griante. It was built at the beginning of the 18th century on the site of an ancient temple, that was probably consecrated by St. Felice, bishop of Como. The church has a...
This church is located in the village Nobiallo just north of Menaggio. The houses are clustered around the church which stands on the Antica Strada Regina, the antique Roman Road that connected Como with Alpine passes. The characteristic leaning...
The church S. Marta is of ancient origins. On the facade you can see the Roman memorial plaque of Minicio Exorato, a notable of the Roman empire; above it the town-arms. Inside the church there are some interesting paintings of the 17th century....
The parish church of S. Stefano is of very ancient origins whose original Roman structures have however been lost; in fact the orientation itself is in the opposite direction of its primitive setting. The church has three naves which, in 1899, were...
Executed in Baroque style (17th c.), with single nave and wooden altar piece dating back to the 1600's. On the left side is a bell tower containing five bells. Inside is the "Madonna delle Grazie" fresco of the Lombardy school, statue of the...
The church of St. George is located in Bellagio, next to City Hall. It is contemporary with the Basilica of St. James, dating back to ' XI - XII century (dated between 1080 and 1120). Originally the apse and altar were facing east; but then moved...
The parish church of Saints Nazaro Celso with the black-white Gothic front, was built in 1348 by Giovanni Ugo di Campione and architects from the valley Intelvi. The church has some beautiful rose windows and frescoes of the Lombard school. The...
The church stands on a hill that dominates the valley. The current building is the result of a series of operations occurred over the centuries. Rebuilt on top of the pre-existing building, in the 16th century the church was formed of only one...
One of the finest examples of Lombard-Romanesque with an intact apse. The parish Church of San Giacomo (St. James) dates back to the 12th century. The rest of the structure has undergone numerous restorations, especially during the 18th century....
This is one of the oldest churches in the Lake Como area and the oldest one in Varenna. Dated back at the 11th century, this Church is defined by the Belfry built toward the lake, as usual at that time, and it keeps inside few frescoes from the 14th...
A perfect morning or afternoon hike with stunning views of Lake Como. San Martino is Lake Como’s most famous mountain church perched on a top a cliff above the town of Griante. Its official name is "Santuario Della Madonna delle Grazie di San...
Consecrated on 1313, the parish church of San Giorgio is a small masterpiece of the 14th century Lombardy architecture. Located in the main square, this is a basilica with nave and two aisles embellished by a rose window and a fresco portraying...
Designed by architect Cesare Cattaneo and painter Mario Radice in 1935. It is a complex construction of circular elements whose harmonious composition consists of four spheres arranged on each other with alternate horizontal rings. Originally...
Located in Montepiatto, a village high above Torno with great hiking trails and equally fantastic views of the lake is the "Stone pendula", boulder resting on a pedestal. This boulder with its base has the appearance of a mushroom. It is thought...
A series of modern frescoes (2007) painted on houses in the town of Taceno that endeavour to preserve traditions, legends and history of craftsmanship and commercial work. Unlike their counterparts in Parlasco that recount the legend of Lasco the...
Three tombs belonging to the aristocratic Andreani Family located outside the Church of St Thomas of Beckett and a castle belonging to the same family. The monuments, know as “arks” are important evidence of Lombardy sculpture that were erected...
Geological formations resembling mushrooms created when water running off the slopes was diverted by large boulders. The boulders imposing size and weight protected the underlying material from erosion and gave rise to the characteristic shape of a...
It’s a boulder of pyramidal shape that owes its curious name to a crescent engraved on one side, of natural origin, accompanied by the letters PLDB (Moon Stone of Bellagio) and the date 1782, which commemorates the end of a period of dispute between...
Monument to the fallen of World War I, designed in 1926 by architect Giuseppe Terragni and built between 1928 and 1931. It consists of a long stone staircase and river pebbles surrounded by cypress trees. The staircase consists of four flights and...
Monument to commemorate the victims of World War II and resistance movements. The monument is a project of Milan sculptor Gianni Colombo. It is located in a park by the lake. It combines stones from Nazi concentration camps and city of Hiroshima...
Daniel Libeskind created this dazzling 16.5 meter (54 feet) high stainless steel sculpture near Piazza Cavour, Como. The public monument, the first contemporary work ever to be installed in Como, is an homage to famed scientist Alexander Volta who...
The burial town where Alessandro Volta is buried was originally called Camnago, and took the name of Camnago Volta in 1863 in honour of this great scientist. The mausoleum, a temple of neoclassic style, was finished in 1831, decorated with statues...
Born in Como, Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta was an Italian physicist credited with the invention of the first electrical battery, the Voltaic pile, which he invented in 1799. With this invention Volta proved that electricity could be...
In the centre of the ancient village Palanzo, situated in the hills and part of the commune of Faggeto Lario, there is an enormous wine press of the 17th century. It is made to work during the annual feast called Sagra del Torchio in October. It was...
Immediately after the death of Alessandro Manzoni on May 22, 1873, the City Council of Lecco met and approved a monument to the writer that had given so much prestige to the city. The committee, headed by Antonio Stoppani, collected donations for...
Located in a churchyard, this statue represents a man in the act of throwing a large stone. The monument reminds locals of a battle in Libya in which alpinists of Brienno fought. The battalion Morbegno, all composed of soldiers from the lake area,...
Sculpture dedicated to disabled service people. Roughly translation on the plaque goes like this: "One hand is actively serving the country in defense of institutional values. The other hand is wounded in the line of duty." The monument is the most...
At the entrance to Laglio's cemetery is a curious pyramidal tomb containing the mortal remains of prestigious doctor Joseph Frank. Born in 1771 Frank was a student of physics and medicine in Pavia. He was a pupil of Alessandro Volta, of whom he...
In 1931, Giuseppe Terragni and his brother were asked by the fascists to design a monument for the victims of World War I. Their design was based on a sketch of the Italian futurist Antonio Sant'Elia, whose sketches showed modernity, dynamics and...
The Volta Lighthouse stands on a hill in San Maurizio, 150 metres above Brunate. From Brunate you can follow a walking path up to the lighthouse and it takes less than 30 minutes to walk there. You can pay an admission and climb to the top of the...
Here, a black cross marks the spot where Benito Mussolini was shot and killed (along with his lover Claretta Petacci) by partisans, marking the last stand of the Fascist dictator's rule over Italy. Actually, he wasn't really the ruler of Italy at...