Church of St. Eufemia

According to the legend, the saint would be a pious woman of Sueglio (on the opposite side of the lake) who fled to Musso because badly desired by his villagers. He would cross the waters of the lake with a saw that he used to "cut" the waters of the lake. With him he also had a big bell that when he got under the stone of Musso he dropped deep, saying, "Yes, yes, go down that much you will not find the bottom!... " (it is said that the depth was never found in that area of the lake). Her was welcomed so well by the inhabitants of Dongo and Musso who decided to stay until old age. After her death, a church was dedicated with the door facing Musso; but the inhabitants of Dongo, jealous of the Saint, they walled that door at night to open one towards Dongo, only that in the morning they found it closed, because it was regularly reopened that verse Musso. Even today the inhabitants of Sueglio (the country from which the Saint escaped) come to this beautiful church to celebrate the feast of the Sainthe feast of the Saint.

Villa del Balbianello

Villa del Balbianello was bequeathed to FAI by Guido Monzino in 1988.

Perched on the edge of the wooded peninsula of Lavedo jutting out over the Lake Como, the Villa offers a wide panorama, which makes it one of the most spectacular estates in the area. 

The construction of the building was commissioned by Cardinal Durini, a scholar and patron of the arts, who, at the end of the 18th century, saw this peaceful corner as the ideal venue for exclusive literary retreats.
Villa del Balbianello was brought back to its original vocation in modern times, when Guido Monzino, entrepreneur, collector and passionate traveler, chose it to preserve the memories of his adventures, which include being the first Italian to climb Mount Everest, with impeccable order and exquisite taste.
Maps, travel tools, books, furniture items, as well as precious and peculiar collections of ancient and primitive art objects, evoke the life and deeds of their owner: everything is still arranged according to his will, including the relics and souvenirs of his mountaineering exploits displayed in the fascinating Museum of Expeditions.
In accordance to his wishes, FAI has been managing the Villa since 1988, preserving its spirit and taking care of its magnificent garden. Trees pruned into unusual shapes, romantic views, avenues lined with statues, panoramic terraces and abundant blooms surround an ascending path leading to the 18th century Loggia Durini, which crowns the whole Balbianello complex and offers the visitors two different panoramas of the Lake.
The beauties of Villa del Balbianello, which is also accessible by water, led many Hollywood directors to pick it as the filming location for several movie series, such as Star Wars and 007. 

https://www.fondoambiente.it/villa-del-balbianello-eng

Church of Santa Maria del Tiglio 

The building, built in the 12th century upon the layout of a previous church, dating back to the Queen Teodolinda, wife of Autari who seized Comacina Island, and better known for the Iron Crown belonging to the Treasure of the Monza Duomo, is of a very strong, yet refined architecture. A belfry designed and realised in the 18th century with two and three-mullioned windows under the high bell naos, is incorporated into the façade's centre, slightly to the rear. It actually expresses the majestic work of the stone cutters engaged in fitting out regularly worked ashlars in order to create the solid walls, brightened by the mighty layout of light rows contrasting with grey rows. The Church of Saint Maria of Tiglio proposes a stereo-metric vision, of parallelepiped and semi-cylindrical volumes harmoniously connected, edged by blind pensile arches and the overhanging saw-tooth motif, typical of the late Romanesque period.

Inside there is a built-in Roman alter, a part of a mosaic floor from the 5th century, a baptismal dating back to the previous baptistery of Saint Giovanni Battista, a Romanesque wooden crucifix, and frescoes from the 13th and 16th centuries. Finally, there is a splendid polygonal-design tower standing against the façade, which is a point of reference for all the surrounding lands.

https://www.comoanditslake.com/mariadeltiglio.htm 

Sanctuary of Madonna delle Lacrime in Dongo

The Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime and its contiguous Franciscan monastery, are in the town of Dongo, near the Albano torrent. The events leading to the construction of the church and the monastery began in the 16th century. On this land, among the vineyards and olive groves was a small votive shrine, which held a fresco of the Madonna with The Child, called the Madonna of the River. The miracle - the face of the Madonna began to shed tears - occurred in September of 1553, and the town's church gathered the tears in a chalice. The shrine was expanded in a just few days, in order to protect the fresco, and from that point on, the inhabitants of Dongo called it the Madonna of Tears.

Between the 16th and 17th centuries the church was expanded with the addition of two side chapels, and painters Caresana and Gabasio realized frescoes inside. A few years later, in 1607 construction of the monastery for the Franciscan monks began. The monastery, strongly desired by the inhabitants of Dongo, was finished in 1619 thanks to the resources donated by the Domaso Benedictine monks, who had opposed the project. In 1627 the Bishop of Como, Lazzaro Carafino, consecrated the church, baptizing it Maria Nascente. In the years that followed, the building was enhanced with life-size sculptures, realized by Brother Diego Giurati and Brother Giovanni da Reggio.

Under the Austrian domination, and the later French domination, the monastery was abolished and the monks had to leave the land. In 1871 thanks to the interest of the Manzi family, the Franciscans returned to the monastery, in 1936 the last heir, Giuseppina Manzi donated the land to the Lombardy's Order of Franciscans. Since the beginning of its construction, The Dongo Sanctuary has been a place of worship and pilgrimage, and for more than four centuries has been in the care of the Franciscans.

https://www.comoanditslake.com/dongosanctuary.htm 

Villa Camilla in Domaso

Villa Camilla was built at the beginning of the 1600s by Calderara nobles. At the end of 1800, after many property transfers, it became the Sebregondi family residence. It is named after Count Sebregondi's first wife, Countess Camilla Barbiano di Belgioioso. Since 1950 the villa has been used as Domaso's City Hall Building. Besides the city offices, it hosts events of a cultural character, painting exhibitions, concerts, and antique shows and various other events, and through time has become a reference point for the Upper Lake's tourism economy.

La villa, of a neoclassical style, and rectangular floor-plan, holds a priceless cultural value. Its stone terrace is characteristic. The structure of Villa Camilla has not undergone great changes throughout the years, but the same cannot be said for its decorations and the stuccoes that have had various modifications at times even inappropriately.

Villa Camilla's park stretches across nearly 8,000 m2, artificial tuff grottoes and many varieties of Camellias, Citron and Conifer trees can be admired there. The park covers three sides of the villa. The entrance is on the south side. There's a grassy area on the north side used for cultural events. A nearly 260 m2 area of prestigious Camellias, and the true park area are on the east side. In the circa 5,000 m2 area with paths, lawns and plants we find Redwood, Palm, Larch, Laurel and Magnolia trees. The circa 560 m2 area dedicated to the Camellias is particularly interesting. Through the years, Villa Camilla's park has been slightly reduced due to the construction of a building and a few road works. 

https://www.comoanditslake.com/villacamilla.htm 

The Abbey of Piona in Colico

The Piona Abbey stands at the feet of Mount Legnone, on the hill of Olgiasca, a stone's throw from the shore of Lake Como in the town of Colico. The first sources attesting to the presence of a monastic community in this territory date back to the 7th century. Documents have been found from the 7th century demonstrating the Piona Abbey's vitality, even economic, at that time. Entering the Abbey you can visit the Church, the Cloister, the Capitulate Room and the building hosting the products made by the Piona monks.

The Piona Church, which faces east, is 27 m. long, 8 m. wide and 9 m. high, and was built as a single nave. The frescoes of the apsidal basin from an unknown period were brought to light in 1906, as was the presbytery vault, and the cross vault, frescoed with scenes of Christ's ascension into heaven and the apostles.

The Cloister with its quadrangular shape, is the reference point of the entire Piona Abbey. The Cloister is a place of silence and meditation, its structure evokes the symbolic form of the number 4: the 4 elements of the universe, the 4 cardinal directions, etc. Prior Bonaccorso de Canova had the Cloister built between 1252 and 1257.

The Capitulate Room is a place where the monks meet and read, where they elect (by secret vote) the Superior, discuss problems, and admit novices. The wooden benches and chairs come from the sacristy of Saint Zeno in Verona.

In the building used for selling the Monks' products we find medicinal herbs, cosmetic creams, honey and the famous liquors skilfully distilled by observing the most antique traditions, all products are naturally produced by the monks. More information: Piona Abbey 23823 Colico, LC - Tel. +39 0341 940331.

https://www.comoanditslake.com/pionaabbey.htm 

Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo

Villa Carlotta is a place of rare beauty. It was built at the end of 17th century for marquis Giorgio Clerici. In 1801 Gian Battista Sommariva, famous politician, businessman and patron of arts, bought the villa. Thanks to him, the villa had a fascinating romantic garden. In the second half of the century the Prussian princess Carlotta received the villa in occasion of the wedding with Georg II of Saxe-Meiningen, a botanic connoisseur, who made a lot of improvements to the park.

In April and May Villa Carlotta offers an authentic sea of multicoloured azaleas shaped in high rounded cushions alongside the garden paths. The effect is unique, because of the compact and thick size of the plants. We signal the Bamboos Garden, in approximately 3000 square meters, arranged according to the principles and techniques of the Japanese gardens, are to be found more then 25 different species of bamboos, some truly rare. The setting, which includes water features like waterfalls and brooks, interspersed with rocks, is greatly harmonious.

To preserve the historical memories of the ancient agricultural and gardening techniques and of several generations of very skilful gardeners, an exhibition of old tools, once used in Villa Carlotta, is displayed in a lovingly restored greenhouse. This selection include a press, a tub, a fire fighting pump, some sieves, watering-cans and barrels, a few wheelbarrows and all the tools required for the production of wine, and honey, to name but a few. Among the preserved works to the inside, we signal the sculptures of Antonio Canova and his school and the paintings of Francesco Hayez.

The Ente Villa Carlotta (Villa Carlotta Organization) now sees to the restoration and conservation of the villa and the garden, which also enriched the villa's artistic patrimony with neo-classical works of the ex-royal palace of Milan. Villa Carlotta - Tremezzo, via Regina 2 - Tel. 0344 40405 - Fax 0344 43689.

https://www.comoanditslake.com/villacarlotta.htm 

Lariosaurus

The story of two Colico hunters, on the northern shore of Lake Como, claimed to have met a creature between ten and twelve meters long with very stiff reddish scales just a few steps away from the Como newspaper of 18 November 1946. shore. The two immediately took up their rifles and fired in the direction of the "thing", which quickly headed towards the center of the lake, disappearing with a loud hiss. This strange animal was called Lariosauro, the same name used a century before to define a prehistoric reptile (Lariosaurus balsami) whose fossil remains were found near the lake in 1830. The fossils of this and other species found later are currently exhibited in museums of Lecco and Munich.
Then there were other sightings of the animal: in 1954 a couple, father and son, saw something with a rounded snout and webbed feet swimming in the water. It was just 80 centimeters long (perhaps a rare otter). Three years later a bathisfera, which plunged to the depth of 90 meters off the coast of Dervio, came across an animal with a head similar to that of a crocodile and about two meters long.
The last sighting occurred in 2003: a giant eel, about 10-12 meters long, appeared near Lecco.