The San Martino (San Martìn in the Lecco dialect) is the mountain that crowns Lecco: 1,090 metres of rock rising almost from lake level, right behind the town, and forming the backdrop to the cathedral’s bell tower, the “Matitone”. It belongs to the Grigne group.
What to see
The popular name, monte Marcio (the rotten mountain), recalls the rockfalls the wall has seen. About 300 metres below the summit, on the Lecco side, stands the chapel named after the Madonna del Carmine, also visible from the SS36, with a viewpoint over the town and the Brianza lakes; on the ledge to the north-west stands the Piazza hut, at 767 metres, owned by the Gruppo Alpini Monte Medale and run by volunteers. The terrace of the Crocione, on top, looks towards the Coltignone, the Resegone, the Barro and the Moregallo. The San Martino and the Resegone are mentioned in Manzoni’s The Betrothed (Wikipedia).
Between the San Martino and the Coltignone you meet lesser heights: the Coltignoncino, the Torrione Diaz and the Corno Regismondo, also called Vetta San Vittore.
Getting there
One route starts from the Rancio district, in via Quarto, and follows path 52: it passes the Carmine chapel and reaches the Piazza hut in about an hour, with 400-450 metres of ascent and 4 kilometres; it is rated E (hiking) but has a very rough initial stretch in the wood and a steep final one. In summer it is better to start early, because the slope is exposed to the sun. Those looking for an equipped route can choose path 53 of the Pizzetti: it starts from viale Turati, near the church of the Frati Cappuccini, takes via Santo Stefano, has 500 metres of ascent, 45 minutes to reach 785 metres and difficulty EEA (for experienced hikers with equipment), with chains and exposed stretches. Another equipped route, the Tecett, starts from Pradello (Wikipedia). The times, ascents and difficulty ratings on this page come from unofficial hiking guides and portals (see Sources), not from a body that manages the trail. Times, difficulty and trail conditions change with the season and should be checked before setting out (CAI, hut managers, weather forecast).
Practical information
- Height: 1,090 metres (Wikipedia, Wikidata, LeMontagne.net); OpenStreetMap gives 1,046.
- According to the reports the Piazza hut usually opens on Thursdays and Sundays, but we have no official source: it is best to check.
Sources
- eccoLecco, Excursion on San Martino: Pizzetti path
- LeMontagne.net, Monte San Martino (September 2026)
- BimbInLombardia, Rifugio Piazza and Notitia, Trekking Rifugio Piazza
- Wikipedia, Monte San Martino (Prealpi Bergamasche) entry; Wikidata and OpenStreetMap.