On the rock spur that separates Musso from Dongo, above the old via Regina, stand the ruins of the Musso fortress: a stronghold of ancient origin that in the 16th century was the headquarters of the Medeghino, Gian Giacomo Medici, master for about ten years of the Lario.
History
The position controls the traffic towards the Valtellina and Switzerland along the via Regina and a stretch of the lake, and on the Sasso di Musso a whitish-grey marble, already known to the Romans, has always been quarried. The origins of the fortress are uncertain: the FAI attributes it to the Lombards, while other sources speak of earlier fortifications, Gallic or Roman. The fief went to the Malacrida, a Como family tied to the Duchy of Milan: the first documentation is from 1335, but other sources give the 13th century or 1350. At the start of the 16th century it passed to Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, who with the authorisation of King Louis XII of France strengthened it, obtained the right to mint coins and set up a mint there (1508 according to Preboggion, 1500 according to another source).
In 1522 the fortress was taken by Gian Giacomo Medici, the Medeghino, who made it even stronger, with a fortified little harbour and other positions on the cliff. Cesare Cantù called him “pirate, king, brigand, traitor, rebel, assassin, hero”: from the castle, with his mercenaries, he dominated the lake and much of the Brianza, imposing duties and tolls. The FAI places his rule between 1525 and 1532. In 1532 the fortress fell: according to Preboggion it was beaten by the allied army of the Three Leagues, according to another source the Medeghino signed a truce ceding the castle to the Grisons, and in both cases the fortress was largely demolished; the Medeghino received the marquisate of Melegnano. In the 17th century, under the Spanish, the Malacrida partly rebuilt the walls (Wikipedia links this to 1636 and the fort of Fuentes).
What to see
The fortress, at its greatest extent, had a double line of bastions and, between the fortress and the mountain, a ditch with sharpened stakes; it was entered by an underground passage and a path from Dongo. Today a few walls remain, which can be mistaken for terracing, and above the main quarry a tower clinging to the rock (Preboggion). On the spur is also the church of Sant’Eufemia, with a picnic area and a fountain, and below, on the sheer rocks, the Giardino del Merlo: a botanical garden created from 1858 to 1883 by the nobleman Giovanni Manzi (one text calls him Giuseppe), inspired by the gardens of the Ligurian Riviera, with more than 120 exotic species, little bridges, caves and galleries. After the death of the last Manzi heir it fell into neglect and was partly used as a quarry; it was recovered and reopened (in 2013 according to one site, in September 2018 according to another).
Practical information
- The Giardino del Merlo is closed to the public. The Comune di Musso page, updated on 31 August 2026, says “currently closed to the public for safety reasons” and refers to the Comune di Dongo for reopening; a tourist site gave it as closed in July too. The main entrance is at via del Giardino 12, before the Dongo tunnel.
- The spur lies between Musso and Dongo: according to OpenStreetMap the point of the fortress falls within the territory of Dongo, while the castle takes its name from Musso.
- A hiking loop from the port of Dongo to Sant’Eufemia, returning through the garden (now closed), is described as Sasso di Musso, 14.5 km, 1,050 metres of ascent and about 6 hours 30, difficulty E: data from a private site, not verified. On the way is the church of Santa Maria in Martinico.
- Musso’s white marble appears in the facades of the Broletto of Como.
Sources
- Preboggion, Rocca di Musso
- FAI, Musso: la cava, i ruderi del castello and Como e il suo Lago, Castello di Musso
- Comune di Musso, Giardino del Merlo (updated 31/8/2026), North Lake Como, Giardino del Merlo, QuiComo, Il Giardino del Merlo (2023) and Como and Its Lake, Giardino del Merlo
- Wikipedia, Castello di Musso entry.