Mandello Lario

Mandello Lario - Branch of Lecco

Mandello del Lario resting on the waters of Lago di Lecco, placed on a peninsula almost in front of Onno, is dominated from behind by the walls and the towers of the Grigna. Mandello Lario is a tourist place with a optimal climate, lavish with walks and climbs of every length and difficulty. Its origins date back at least to the Gallo-Roman Age, but Mandello's might asserted itself in the Middle Ages when it formed an alliance with Como during the war against Milan. Milan got the better of it, and in 1160. Mandello del Lario was half-destroyed, then yielded to the Visconti, in the end passed to the Sfondrati until 1788, its silks woven by Mandello's artisan shops were renowned throughout the centuries.

Since 1921 Mandello has been the headquarters of Moto Guzzi (Guzzi Motorcycle), one of the most prestigious Italian motorcycle makers, in the territory there are other historical industrial and artesian brands. In the centre of the village is the ERCOLE CARCANO Public Library where the homonymous foundation has created a small museum. From Mandello del Lario you can easily reach i piani dei Resinelli (Resinelli Plateaus), passing through the villages of Tonzanico and Maggiana, where there is still today an ancient tower, famous for having housed Barbarossa (Fredrick I) in 1158, when he conquered the town.

A visit the Santuario della Madonna del fiume (Our Lady of the River Sanctuary) is also recommended, the true jewel of the Lombard late-Baroque era, its interior embellished with stuccoes, gildings, frescoes and canvasses painted by Giacomo Antoni Santagostino. Frescoes of notable interest from the late 1400s and early 1500s, are inside the church of S. Giorgio and that of Saint Zenone, in the village of Tonzanico.