Page 149 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Milan & The Lakes

LAKE C OMO  147

E Museo Moto Guzzi
della Motocicletta
Via Parodi 57, Mandello del Lario.
Tel 0341-70 92 37. Open 3–4pm Mon–
Fri. Closed hols. ∑ motoguzzi.it

q Lecco
* 46,000. n IAT, Via Nazario Sauro 6
(0341-29 57 20). ∑ aptlecco.com
Lecco lies on the southern tip
of the arm of the lake of the
same name. It was inhabited in
prehistoric times and fortified
in the 6th century AD. In the
1300s it was taken over by
Azzone Visconti, who built
the Ponte Vecchio.
Manzoni set his novel A drawing room in Villa Serbelloni overlooking the lake
I Promessi Sposi (The Betroth ed)
here. Mementos of his life P Casa Natale di Manzoni Trivulzio and Trotti villas. Do not
can be found in his childhood Via Guanella 1. Tel 0341-48 12 47. Open miss the 12th-century San Gia-
home, the Casa Natale di 9:30am–5:30pm Tue–Sun. & 7 como, with its pulpit decorated
Manzoni at Caleotto, which also P Palazzo Belgioioso and with symbols of
houses the Galleria Com unale Museo di Storia Naturale the Evangelists.
d’Arte. In the centre are the
Teatro della Società (1844) and Corso Matteotti 32. Tel 0341-48 P Villa Serbelloni
12 48. Open 9:30am–2pm Tue–
San Nicolò, whose baptistery Piazza della Chiesa. Tel 031-
chapel has 14th–15th-century Sun. Closed 1 Jan, Easter, 15 95 15 55. Open for guided
Aug, 1 May, 25 & 26 Dec. 7
frescoes. The Museo di Storia visits only, mid-Mar–mid-
Naturale in the 18th-century R San Pietro al Monte: Nov: 11am and 3:30pm
Palazzo Belgioioso is also of Civate. Tel 0341-55 07 11. Tue–Sun. & 8 for
interest. Sites described by Open call ahead for groups of up to 30 people
(book ahead).
Manzoni in his novel have been opening times.
identified, including the castle ∑ amicidisanpietro.it P Villa Melzi d’Eril
of the Unnamed at Vercurago, Lungolario
and Lucia’s home at Olate. Marconi.
Near Civate is Romanesque w Bellagio Tel 339 45 73 838.
San Pietro al Monte (12th Como. * 3,050. One of the statues at Open 9:30am–
century), with frescoes and n Piazza Mazzini (031- Villa Melzi d’Eril 6:30pm end Mar–Oct. &
reliefs depicting the Passion. 95 02 04). ∑ bellagio
A turn-off on the road to lakecomo.com
Bellagio leads to the Madonna e Torno
del Ghisallo sanctuary. Known since antiquity for its fine Como. * 1,200. n IAT, Piazza
climate and scenery, Bellagio Cavour 17, Como (031-26 97 12).
still has its medieval layout, with
stepped alley ways. It became The village of Torno boasts
the site of splendid noble villas the churches of Santa Tecla,
in the 1700s and then became a which has a beautiful marble
famous resort town in the 19th portal dating from 1480, and
century. Among the attractive the 14th-century San Giovanni,
resi dences, the loveliest are Villa with its remarkable Renaissance
Serbelloni and Villa Melzi d’Eril. door. However, Torno is best
In 1870 the former became a known for the Villa Pliniana,
hotel that numbered Winston built in 1573 (and attributed to
Churchill and J F Kennedy Tibaldi) for Count Anguissola,
among its guests. The Neo- the governor of Como.
Classical Villa Melzi was built in The villa is surrounded by a
1810 by Giocondo Albertolli. The park and stands right by the
interior is not open to the public, lake. The writers Foscolo,
but the Museo Archeo logico, the Stendhal and Byron, and
The Italian writer Manzoni, author of chapel and the gar dens are. Near composer Rossini have all
The Betrothed the town are the 18th-century been guests here.

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