Location
Garzeno sits at 660 metres above sea level along the Valle Albano, the route that climbs from Dongo to the Passo San Jorio (2,010 m), linking the Alto Lario with Switzerland (Val Mesolcina and Bellinzona).
History
The lordship of the “Monte di Dongo”, which also included Garzeno, was obtained in 1220 by the Sacco family, feudal lords of the Val Mesolcina, by grant of Frederick II; lost in 1284, it was recovered in 1402. The territory then passed to the Trivulzio family and, in 1580, entered the fief of the Tre Pievi that the Como-born cardinal Tolomeo Gallio obtained from Philip II of Spain.
What to see
- The parish church of Santi Pietro e Paolo, built in the 15th century.
- The scattered village, a mountain settlement of stone houses representative of the traditional architecture of the Valle Albano.
- The Parco della Valle Albano (established in 2005), which also includes Stazzona and Germasino: the valley’s inhabitants are nicknamed “Moncech”.
What to do and excursions
From Garzeno, trails of every level set off towards the Passo San Jorio, passing the Mottafoiada, Giovo and San Jorio refuges — details in the dedicated itinerary linked to this page. Other routes climb Monte Marmontana and the peaks on the border with the Val Cavargna, such as Pizzo di Gino and Monte Tabor.
Getting there
From Dongo, the provincial road climbs the Valle Albano towards the Passo San Jorio.
Festivities
29 June — Saints Peter and Paul, patron saints of Garzeno.