The Fiumelatte is a short watercourse that rises on the slopes of the Grigna and flows into Lake Como just south of Varenna. It gives its name to the frazione of the same name of Varenna, in the Province of Lecco. It lies at the start of the stretch of the Sentiero del Viandante described on this site.
What to see
From its source to where it enters the lake the Fiumelatte runs for about 250 metres and is considered one of the shortest rivers in Italy. The name comes from the milky-white colour of its water.
The source is intermittent: the river usually dries up around the middle of October and starts flowing again in the second half of March. The phenomenon is linked to a karst system in the Grigna: the cavity that feeds the source fills and empties periodically.
The Fiumelatte appears in both ancient and modern sources. Leonardo da Vinci mentions it in the Codex Atlanticus under the name “Fiumelaccio”; Pliny the Elder and Lazzaro Spallanzani also wrote about it.
Getting there
The source is reached from the frazione of Fiumelatte by a short uphill path. From the centre of Varenna it can be reached on foot along the road that runs beside the lake, passing the Chiesa di San Giorgio. From here the Sentiero del Viandante climbs the hillside towards the Castello di Vezio.
Practical information
It is worth visiting the source in the months when the river is flowing, roughly from late March to October. The access path is short but steep.