Colico lies at the northern end of Lake Como surrounded by Pian di Spagna Nature Reserve and the majestic mountain peak of Mount Legnone. As a result of Colico’s unique location it is an ideal destination for travellers who love nature and enjoy relaxation in a setting of historical beauty while at the same time offering an abundance of sport, active life and fun.
Colico is the doorway between the Province of Lecco and the Valtellina. Here in the past the boats were put in the water to bring goods to Lecco. The Spanish governor was interested and believed in the Valtellina and in 1603 he built the “Forte di Fuentes”, a fortress that had to protect him from the “Grignoni’s” ferocity. Colico, truthfully, has never been a big town but, on the other hand, was a transit area for anyone that decided to descend from the Spluga to get to Italy.
Colico is the doorway between the Province of Lecco and the Valtellina. Here in the past the boats were put in the water to bring goods to Lecco. The Spanish governor was interested and believed in the Valtellina and in 1603 he built the “Forte di Fuentes”, a fortress that had to protect him from the “Grignoni’s” ferocity. Colico, truthfully, has never been a big town but, on the other hand, was a transit area for anyone that decided to descend from the Spluga to get to Italy.
COLICO FORTE DI FUENTES
In ancient times the aerea between the Adda river and the Mera river at the Northern end of the lake was considered to be very important for its strategic position; the marsh was drained by the Romans and was occupied by Spanish encampments for the entire XVI century from which is how this area became named the Piano di Spagna (The Spanish Plain). The Spanish defensive mainstay was the fortress of Fuentes, located on the long isolated headland that rises from the plain, and controlled the last section of the river Adda. |
COLICO PIONA ABBEY
The history of Piona begins in 610 A.D., when an oratory devoted to Saint Justina was built on the peninsula. It was consecrated in 1138. Next to it there are the ruins of another Romanesque building, of which only the apse remains today. In the 1960s it became Abbey. The trussed nave has marble lions and frescoes dating back to the 12th and 13th century. It is also possible to enter the stunning cloister (1252-57) surrounded by refined columns and decorated with paintings from different periods, among which there is a rare calendar fresco. |
LAKE COMO THINGS TO DO
LAKE COMO ATTRACTIONS
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LAKE COMO CULTURE
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LAKE COMO ACTIVITIES
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LAKE COMO BY BIKE
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