Built in 1576 for San Carlo Borromeo, the church of Santi Materno e Lucia and its adjoining convent are the place Alessandro Manzoni chose as the home of Fra Cristoforo in The Betrothed.
History
“The convent stood outside, and facing the entrance to the town, with the road that leads from Lecco to Bergamo in between” — this is how Manzoni describes, in chapter IV of the novel, the Capuchin friars’ convent in Pescarenico, made famous worldwide as the home of the character Fra Cristoforo. The church and convent were actually built in 1576 by Hurtado de Mendoza, Knight of Santiago and governor of the Lecco plain, for San Carlo Borromeo, and were dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, entrusted to Franciscan friars who hosted fellow friars travelling from Bergamo towards Como and Domaso. Consecrated in 1600, the church underwent several transformations from the Baroque period onwards, even being used as a barracks for French troops in the 18th century.
The friars remained in the convent until 1810, when they were expelled by the Napoleonic government. Between 1824 and 1834 the building was restored to a design by Giuseppe Bovara, the Lecco architect responsible for many other religious works in the area, and it was on this occasion that the church was rededicated to Santi Materno e Lucia, taking the name it still bears today; a parish church since 1897, its ceiling was decorated with paintings in the early 19th century. Although the convent had been suppressed in 1810, it was declared a national monument in 1940 by King Vittorio Emanuele III, together with Villa Manzoni at Caleotto — a double recognition that ties this place indissolubly to the city’s literary and historical memory.
What to see
The church, small but rich in works of art, remains an essential stop for anyone visiting Pescarenico in search of the Manzonian sites, together with the nearby Ponte Azzone Visconti and the charming Piazza Era.
Getting there
The church stands in the heart of Pescarenico, along the route of the Manzonian Lecco itinerary.
Practical information
The church is open for worship. For visiting hours and the schedule of services, please refer to the parish of Lecco.