The sanctuary of Sant’Anna stands at 742 metres on the mule track that climbs from the Dangri bridge to Baggio, in the territory of Livo. It is also called the sanctuary of the Madonna di Mezza Cresta or Madonna di Livo; the regional record catalogues it as «Chiesa di S. Anna». It is a small Baroque temple that can be reached only on foot.
History
The sources date it to the 17th century and agree on the reason. The people of Livo wanted a worthy home for an image of the Madonna and Child, held to be miraculous, which was frescoed in a votive chapel on the spot where the sanctuary was later built. Wikipedia writes that the building was completed in 1720 and the FAI says it was built in the early 18th century; the Viaggi Spirituali site places its birth in the wave of Marian faith and new sanctuaries that followed the Counter-Reformation in the Como area. For over a century, the tourist sites say, the sanctuary has been a reference point for pilgrims of the Upper Lario and of the Valtellina too.
The Lombardia Beni Culturali record for the church is very bare: name, place and ecclesiastical ownership, with no description or dates. Wikipedia also points to an article in La Provincia of 17 January 2022 that speaks of a «day of the apparition of the Virgin» tied to this place; we found no other sources on the tradition and do not tell it.
What to see
Inside is the Marian image that gives the sanctuary its name and an 18th-century organ, for which the sources give different names: North Lake Como speaks of a work by Andrea Albiolo, while Wikipedia attributes it to Giuseppe Colombo of Gottro, adding that it was previously in the former parish church of San Giacomo, in place of the present Franzetti organ. We cannot say which of the two attributions is right. Along the path, near the sanctuary, there is a fountain where one can fill a bottle (reported by a hike account on Wikiloc).
The sanctuary is not the only church of Livo: the old San Giacomo, near the cemetery, is documented from 1297 and has 16th-century frescoes; the new San Giacomo, in the village, is 17th-century (Comune di Livo).
Getting there
The sanctuary can be reached only on foot. From Livo a toll forest road leads to Dangri; according to menaggio.com the toll is 3 euros, there is parking at Dangri (4 km from Livo) and also at the village cemetery: it is best to check. A Wikiloc account writes of about half an hour on foot from the cemetery to Crotto Dangri.
From Dangri, past the stone bridge over the Livo stream, one turns left, leaving the Via dei Monti Lariani on the right, and follows a mule track marked red-white-red. The track climbs in about forty bends towards the village of Baggio and passes in front of the sanctuary; from there one continues following the stations of a Way of the Cross to the clearing with the Madonna della Valle. According to menaggio.com the fountain of Baggio, at 970 metres, is reached in one hour 35 minutes from Livo. After Baggio the track becomes the Val Darengo path that leads to Lake Darengo and the Capanna Como: the itinerary Val Darengo, to Lake Darengo from Livo covers it, while from Livo to Dangri one follows Via dei Monti Lariani, section 4.
Practical information
- The feast of Sant’Anna is celebrated on 26 July (North Lake Como); the San Francesco Spinelli Pastoral Community publishes notices of the feast at the sanctuary on its website.
- We found no official source for opening hours: it is best to ask the parish of Santi Eusebio e Giacomo (0344 85261), which also includes churches in Livo.
- From the sanctuary the paths continue on mountain terrain: see the Val Darengo itinerary for route information.
Sources
- North Lake Como, Shrine of Madonna di Mezza Cresta (Church of Sant’Anna)
- Viaggi Spirituali, Santuario della Madonna di Mezza Cresta, Livo (Como)
- FAI, Livo
- Lombardia Beni Culturali, Chiesa di S. Anna (record CO250-00580)
- Comune di Livo, Territorio
- menaggio.com, Lake Darengo - Capanna Como
- Wikiloc, Val Darengo, Lago Darengo e Capanna Como da Livo
- Wikipedia, entry Livo (Lombardia).
