Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ABBAZIA DI SAN PIETRO AL MONTE
Birdsong and the rush of a mountain stream accompany you as you make the pilgrimage to
the Romanesque Abbazia di San Pietro al Monte (St Peter on the Mount). Medieval monks
seemed to have had both a thing about punishing themselves and a love of good views.
From the upper streets (park at Via del Pozzo) of sprawling hillside
Civate
(330m), 5km
southwest of Lecco, it's a beautiful but uphill 30- to 40- minute walk (for the moderately
unfit) on waymarked stone trail No 10. The trail finally reaches a clearing where this abbey
has stood (at 663m) since the 11th century.
The curious two-part Benedictine abbey (which you may only get to admire from out-
side) is in an idyllic setting that affords views south over
Lake Annone
, one of a string of
peaceful lakes along the Como-Lecco road. The first building is an enchanting chapel ded-
icated to St Benedict, a squat affair with apses protruding from three sides. The main build-
ing rises behind. If you're lucky and it's open, you'll find medieval frescoes depicting
mostly Old Testament scenes inside.
ROMANESQUE
Architecture buffs might want to search out the sprinkling of fine Lombard Romanesque churches scattered about
the Triangolo Lariano. Among the lakeside villages, Careno (Chiesa di San Martino), Bellagio (Basilica di San Gi-
acomo;
Click here
)
and Torno (Chiesa di San Giovanni) stand out for their well-preserved churches. Inland, among
the most important are those in Lasnigo (Chiesa di San Alessandro), Barni (Chiesa di San Pietro) and Rezzago (Ch-
iesa di SS Cosmo e Damiano).
