Location
Lezzeno lies on the eastern shore of the Como branch, the last municipality before Bellagio coming up from Como: it is the municipality with the longest stretch of lake shoreline, with seventeen hamlets scattered along about seven kilometres of coast.
History
Inhabited since Roman times (tombs have been found here), in the Middle Ages the village was fortified: in the hamlet of Morbia stood a fortress that later became Palazzo Silva. Allied with the Milanese, it was destroyed by the Comaschi during the ten years’ war. The parish, tied to the Pieve di Isola, became independent only in 1780. The wine of Lezzeno was once renowned too, valued for its medicinal properties.
What to see
- The Church of Santi Quirico e Giulitta, from the late 15th century and enlarged in the 16th, with a fresco by the Val d’Intelvi painter G. Quaglio.
- The Church of the Santissima Trinità, reached by a Way of the Cross of fourteen chapels.
- The Grotta dei Bulberi, or Grotta Azzurra, among the cliffs of the Sassi Grosgalli near the Ponte del Diavolo: reachable only by water, it is known for its plays of light and for the legend of the “bulberi”, giant fish from Lario lore.
- The Sassi Grosgalli, sheer rock walls over the lake cut by karst fissures.
What to do
A boat trip between Lezzeno and Bellagio lets you admire the houses on the hillside and the rock faces. It’s also worth exploring the many hamlets scattered along the coast.
Getting there
The hamlet of Chiesa has its own Navigazione Lago di Como landing; bus line C30 Como-Nesso-Bellagio crosses the village in about 50 minutes from Como (Pescau/Bivio Bagnana stop). By car, follow the SS583, narrow and scenic along the coast.
Festivities
16 June, Santi Quirico e Giulitta, patron saints of Lezzeno.