Location
Sala Comacina lies on the western shore of the Como branch, facing the Isola Comacina, in the area known as the “Zoca de l’Oli”.
History
The name comes from “corte” (sala), referring to the manor residence. Continuously inhabited since Roman times, it was part of the pieve d’Isola and followed its fortunes, and was fortified in the communal era. From 1928 to 1950 it was merged with Colonno and Ossuccio into the municipality of Isola Comacina.
What to see
- The Isola Comacina, the only island on the Lario: today an archaeological park with the remains of the Basilica di Sant’Eufemia (three naves and apses, crypt), the 17th-century Church of San Giovanni Battista, the Aula Battesimale Biabsidata and the remains of Santa Maria col Portico and San Pietro in Castello. It is reached by lake from Ossuccio or Sala Comacina; every June a popular festival of San Giovanni is held there in memory of the island’s destruction by the Comaschi in 1169.
- Villa Rachele, which belonged to the son of Cesare Beccaria, host to a literary salon frequented by Manzoni and Cantù, on the Puncia promontory.
- The Church of San Bartolomeo, 18th century, with a Nativity of the Luinesque school and a Baroque wooden altar.
What to do and excursions
The Greenway del Lago di Como continues from Colonno through Sala Comacina, touching some of the most striking points of the shore. A scenic mule track climbs towards the Alpe di Sala, also the starting point for the loop over the mountains of Lenno that touches the Cima della Duaria.
Getting there
Dedicated boat rides connect Sala Comacina to the Isola Comacina in just 10 minutes; bus line C10 takes about an hour from Como, reachable by car from the A9 motorway (Como Nord exit) followed by the SS340 for 22 km.
Festivities
24 August, San Bartolomeo, patron saint of Sala Comacina.