castles-and-ruins near Ostello Villa Olmo
First mentioned the thirteenth century, but excavations, have unearthed remains of a chapel built in eleventh and the twelfth century and rebuilt in the fifteenth century. The bell tower has been dated to the second half of the eleventh century. A...
Built in the Romanesque period, between the 11 and 12th centuries, but underwent many changes and expansions to its current appearance. It was the first parish church of Molina; over the centuries, the population of this village moved increasingly...
The land where this shrine shrine now stands was once marsh close to the moat that surrounded the walled city of Como. It was barely habitable consisting of miserable hovels and shacks that led a dubious existence. In 1236 the canonical Erasmo...
The building was first started between 1908 and 1912. Luigi Dell'Orto, mayor of Cernobbio for almost thirty years, wanted this church to solemnize his wedding with Elizabeth Lucca. After the war, the building was completed thanks to the heirs, in...
Temple of the Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Water Sports Prodigy. In a stormy crossing of the Adriatic, on the night of September 12, 1669, the family of Count Antonio Zancaropulo Berardo escaping from Crete, sought shelter in Venice. During...
The S. Cecillia Monastery, built around the middle of the thirteenth century, from 1270 was driven by the Lucini family and support of the Franciscans and the bishop Leone Lambertenghi. The building lies on the Roman walls of the imperial age,...
Situated in the hamlet of Borgo, built on the previous Romanesque building, was the parish from the end of the fifteenth century. A single nave, has suffered repeated rearrangements. Inside frescoes Fiammenghino and an altarpiece of the sixteenth...
Urio, the part of the town that lies south of Carate, is characterized by the Romanesque bell tower of the Saints Quirico and Giulitta church that stands close to the lake. Rebuilt in 1865 from an original Romanesque church with two towers and a...
The church of San Vincenzo in Cernobbio is located in the historic part of the town, in front of Tolomeo Gallio square, a few steps away from the lake. We can date the origin of the church back to 1150, a pastoral visit of Bishop Niguarda that took...
Built on location of a church dating back to the 16th century, Santi Epimaco e Girdino was completely rebuilt in the second half of the 18th century. The original parish church is located in the lower part of town, near the lake. For this reason,...
Occupying an enviable position high above the town of Como and Como branch of the lake, the church of Brunate contains a wealth of history and art. The centuries-old history of the church contains beautiful artistic works (the fifteenth-century...
The village contains this interesting church that dates back to the 14th century. It has a fine Romanesque bell tower and a decorated Renaissance portal. An ancient chest behind the altar preserves a precious reliquary, a nail of the Holy Cross....
The church was founded in 1300 by two brothers Hermits of St. Augustine from Civilio, a village above Como, on land donated by a family whose members were later buried in front of the presbytery. It is the only example of Cistercian architecture...
Situated in the hamlet of Vignola, along the ancient Via Regina, it preserves its ancient structure in bare stone decorated with small arches. The exterior has remains of Renaissance and late Gothic frescos. The interior is divided into two naves...
Located in the middle of the walled town, the church was built between the 11th to the end of the 13th century and was possibly the first cathedral in Como. It features a complex planimetry including three short naves, provided with women's...
Built on a structure dedicated to Mercury and pagan cults. The first bishop of Como Felice changed the temple dedicated to a Christian church, in which he placed the mortal remains of Carpoforo. Located on the ancient Roman road connecting Como to...
An omni-present feature of Lake Como’s skyline is the Como Cathedral with its white marble facade and imposing dome. The interior is equally spectacular boasting elaborate altar paintings, gargoyles and a magnificent dome. Como Cathedral (Italian:...
The Basilica of Sant'Abbondio is located outside the walls of Como, under Mount Croce, along a stretch of Via Regina that was an important area of worship. The church has two notable bell towers rising at the end of the external aisles, in the...
The Tower is located on a rocky outcrop above the village of Spurano and it was an ancient watchtower, which probably dates back to the 12th century. The fortified structure, included in the difensive system of the Comacina Island, was probably...
An ancient palace of the seventeenth century. It belonged to one of the most influential families of Lake Como, the Brentano, who later moved to Milan and then to Germany. It is currently used in part as a city hall where the renown painter Giulio...
Originally a signalling tower, that later became a fortress as documented 1158. There is no information about the proceeding centuries until 1454 when the area fell into the hands of the Republic of Venice and the Adda River became the natural...
The Castle lies on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Como close to Riva Bianca and its namesake beach. Built in the Romanesque period, the fortress was at the focus of several historical events, like the battle between Milan and Como in 1124. It was...
Also called Tower of Barbarossa, stands high over Mandello dating from the twelfth century. The tower has been rebuilt over the years, but retains interesting architectural features like the arched portal, the remains of painted trophies and a...
Volunteers of the Cultural Center Library Bellagio deal with loaning library books and organize various cultural events....
It is thought the tower was built at the behest of Fontanedo Bernabo Visconti in 1357, on the defensive line of Upper Lake, but perhaps it was only enhanced an existing structure. It is located about 700 meters downstream of the village of...
In the medieval center of Villincino, was a fortified town built in the late tenth century. The village was owned by the wealthy family Carpani. The town was destroyed in 1278. The small and picturesque district is accessed by going through a tower,...
It is a private building constructed on roman foundation with an irregular square plant. The building, which has crown walls with battlements to protect the round parapet, can be dated between 1360 and 1370. It is a typical castle-enclosure, which...
Fort Fuentes is a former military fort on the hill of Montecchio or Monteggiolo near Colico, northern Italy. It was built by the Spanish governor of Milan, Don Pedro Enríquez de Acevedo, Count of Fuentes, to defend the northern border of the Spanish...
Fort Montecchio-Lusardi is a military fort situated in Colico, in the province of Lecco, northern Italy. It was built between 1911 and 1914. It is the only Italian fort from World War I which has been preserved intact with its original weapons. The...
A must see--one of the most beautiful castles on the lake. It is a walled enclusure, developed around a squared tower with restored battlements and a real drawbridge. Additional attractions feature live falconry shows, an exhibition dedicated to the...
Trapezoidal shaped castle with three towers built by counts Della Torre of Rezzonico in 1363. It is described as a "castle-fence", fortifying an area of two thousand square meters which surrounded the town and the main tower. Today the castle is...
Placed on a hill overlooking the town, the castle was built in late Middle Ages to block the way to Valvarrone and it still remains a well-preserved tower, surrounded by ruins of ancient houses. The first proofs date back to 1039, when it suffered a...