It’s the ideal place to set off on the Sentiero del Viandante, the travellers’ footpath.
A textbook picture postcard landscape with porticoes mirrored in the waters of the lake and a mountain backdrop. But it is not just its natural beauties which have made Mandello del Lario famous but also its ancient origins and historical and cultural importance. Fame arrived in the 20th century on the strength of Moto Guzzi, a historic motorbike factory founded here in 1921 and now the focus of a museum which draws in motorbike lovers from all over the world every year.
NATURE, HISTORY AND RELAXATION
At the foot of the Grigne mountains – a range much loved by mountaineers and climbers – Mandello del Lario is the ideal starting point for hikers embarking on Sentiero del Viandante, one of the area’s best known paths.
The town itself is well worth a visit, with its picturesque historic centre made up of narrow streets, squares and characteristic stone houses, giving it a yesteryear atmosphere. Its historic sites include Campanile di San Lorenzo and Torre Pretoria, as well as very old churches such as San Lorenzo and San Giorgio, with their splendid medieval frescoes. Torre di Maggiana, known as Torre del Barbarossa because it hosted Emperor Frederick I of Germany in the late 12th century, is also of considerable interest. The views from the top of this tower are panoramic, taking in the lake and the mountains around it.
In the summer it is pure heaven, with its little beaches and a very pleasant lakeside promenade ideal for walks and family relaxation. Boats to Onno and Bellagio, some of Lake Como’s most beautiful places, also leave from here. In the 20th century it was Moto Guzzi – the historic motorcycle factory founded here in 1921 – which made the town famous.
Beyond its natural beauties, Mandello del Lario’s history is a long one. It is believed that it was inhabited as far back as prehistoric times, although the town’s origins date to the Roman period, during which it almost certainly had a defensive function. Moving on to more recent times, it is to be remembered as the town in which Rubaconte da Mandello – podestà of Bergamo and Florence in the 13th century – was born and Dante Alighieri mentioned it in his Divine Comedy, in the 12th Canto of Purgatory. In 1532, the Lake Como which laps at the shores of Mandello del Lario was the scene of bloody fighting between the Sforzas and the marquises of Musso. These latter were captained by Gian Giacomo dei Medici, who lost his brother Gabriele in the battle.
THE MODERN ERA
A further leap forward in time takes us to the 19th century when Mandello del Lario became a key Lombard steelmaking hub of general industrial importance, too. It is a vocation which was confi rmed – and further consolidated – in the decades which followed when a range of internationally famous companies made this Lecco province town their home: Cemb, Gilardoni Spa and, as we have seen, Moto Guzzi. Th is vocation is still very much alive today, with the spotlight on tourism.
