Location
Albese con Cassano lies in Alta Brianza, at the foot of the Como Prealps, part of the Comunità Montana del Triangolo Lariano, about 8 km from Como.
History
The municipality was formed in 1928 from the union of the Albese and Cassano settlements, previously administered separately. In the Middle Ages both territories belonged to the fief of the Dal Verme family. Worth noting is Villa Greppi, near the Cosia stream, home of the patron Antonio Greppi, a supporter of, among others, Metastasio and Goldoni.
What to see
- Church of San Pietro: Romanesque origins, a leaning bell tower (the town’s symbol), frescoes by Giovanni Giacomo de Magistris.
- Church of Santa Margherita: 19th century, with a recently restored 19th-century organ.
- Historic villas: Villa Greppi, Villa Odescalchi, Villa Parravicini.
- Water Ethnographic Museum: housed in an 1822 public wash-house in the historic centre, documenting the use of water from the 19th century to the 1950s.
What to do
The municipal territory is a gateway to the Cosia stream valley, with hikes towards the Bocchetta di Molina (which connects to the Dorsale del Triangolo Lariano) and the Capanna San Pietro.
Getting there
As there is no station in town, train travellers get off at Anzano del Parco, on the Como-Lecco line. The C140 bus line connects Como and Erba directly, with a stop at Piazza Motta; by car, from Como follow the SP41 towards Erba.
Festivities
5 July — Saint Margaret, patron saint of Albese con Cassano (the feast is held at the church of the same name).