With its 96-metre bell tower, the “Matitone” (big pencil), the Basilica di San Nicolò is the unmistakable symbol of Lecco, built on the remains of the medieval town walls north of the historic centre.
History
Dedicated to San Nicolò, patron saint of sailors and boatmen, the basilica stands on raised ground on the remains of the town’s fortified walls. Originally a small 11th-century building, it was enlarged several times during the 15th century; in the 17th century it enjoyed a period of great splendour, taking on distinctly Baroque forms in both structure and decoration. Between 1831 and 1862 the building was thoroughly rebuilt with a neoclassical gable facade, crowned by a triangular tympanum supported by six fluted Ionic pilasters, with the portal at its centre flanked by four semicircular niches.
The bell tower, 96 metres high, among the tallest in Italy and the tallest in the whole Archdiocese of Milan, was built from 1882 to a design by engineer Gattinoni, using a medieval tower of the town walls as its base; the works, halted in 1894 for lack of funds, were completed thanks to the tenacity of the Lecco community, with the official inauguration on Christmas night 1904. Locals affectionately call it the “Matitone” (big pencil), for its tapering shape that ends in a slender spire.
What to see
- The three-nave interior, culminating in a semicircular apse surrounded by an ambulatory with a matroneum, preceded by a dome frescoed with the apparition of the Madonna of the Rosary to Pope Pius V, commemorating the 1571 victory at Lepanto.
- Frescoes from Giotto’s school, brought to light by the 1967-68 restoration, alongside more recent decorations with ten panels depicting Gospel episodes.
- The bell tower itself: climbing its 396 steps rewards visitors with a 360-degree panorama over the whole Lecco branch of Lake Como, the lakeside villas and the peaks of Monte Resegone — the same mountain profile that, according to tradition, inspired the opening lines of The Betrothed and that can also be admired from the windows of the nearby Villa Manzoni.
Getting there
The basilica stands in the heart of Lecco’s historic centre, a few minutes’ walk from Villa Manzoni and the Ponte Azzone Visconti, along the route of the Manzonian Lecco itinerary.
Practical information
The basilica is open for worship. For bell tower visiting hours and the schedule of services, please refer to the parish of Lecco.