Location
Nesso overlooks the Como shoreline of the lake, midway between Como and Bellagio, behind the Triangolo Lariano.
History
A village of Celtic origin, allied with Milan during the ten-year war, it was destroyed by Como in 1124. In 1497 the Sforza family donated the fief to Lucrezia Crivelli; it was followed by the Corio and Casnedi families until the Napoleonic period.
What to see
- The Orrido of Nesso, a gorge carved by the Tuf and Nosè streams that plunge in a waterfall before flowing into the lake: noted by Leonardo da Vinci in the Codice Atlantico and the setting for a 1925 silent Hitchcock film. The best viewpoint is from Piazza Castello.
- The Ponte della Civera, a medieval bridge at the point where the gorge meets the lake.
- The Church of Saints Peter and Paul, founded in 1095 and reworked in Baroque style.
- Careno, a hamlet distinctive for its triangular form as seen from the lake, with the Church of San Martino (12th century) perched over the water.
- The Grotta Masera and a Roman bridge in Val Nuseè.
What to do and excursions
A section of the Strada Regia runs through the village. By car, the road rising from Nesso through Zelbio leads to the Pian del Tivano, a karst plateau at 950 m in the heart of the Triangolo Lariano: from here the Piani di Nesso can be reached in half an hour, then Rifugio Riella, and in about two hours altogether, Monte Palanzone — details in the dedicated itinerary linked to this page.
Getting there
The C30 bus line Como-Bellagio stops at Nesso-Piazza Castello, and some Navigazione ferries on the Como-Bellano route serve the village; by car follow the SS583.
Festivities
29 June, Saints Peter and Paul, patron saints of Nesso.