On the hill of Somasca, a hamlet of Vercurago a few kilometres south of Lecco, stand the ruins of the fortified complex that tradition identifies with the home of the “Innominato” (the Unnamed), the powerful and restless lord of The Betrothed.
History
The castle, a fortified complex dating back to the 14th century, stood on high ground already mentioned as a watchtower in the time of Frederick Barbarossa. In 1534 Girolamo Miani — the future Saint Girolamo Emiliani — used it to shelter orphans, opening a school of grammar and a trade; the complex was later ceded by the Limonta family of Vercurago to the Somaschi Fathers on 26 October 1628, the religious order founded by Miani himself. According to popular tradition, Manzoni drew on the Rocca di Vercurago to set the residence of the Innominato, described in the novel as a fortress from whose heights “the savage lord dominated all around”.
What to see
What remains of the castle today are the perimeter walls and part of the defensive bastions, the main tower — which houses a chapel dedicated to San Girolamo Emiliani — a large iron cross (“il Crocione”) at the summit, the Scala Santa (1837) and a hermitage reached by a staircase carved into the rock. From the top there is a wide view over the Lecco branch of the lake and the course of the Adda.
Getting there
The sanctuary and castle are reached by an easy panoramic trail of about 30 minutes from the Santuario di San Girolamo in Somasca di Vercurago; the trail is not suitable for people with reduced mobility, motor difficulties or strollers.
Practical information
The site can only be reached on foot along the panoramic trail; no closing times are recorded for the castle’s outdoor area.