Its origins date back to Romans and it has a turbulent history: in the Middle Ages Mandello was a fortified fortress and always hovered between Como and Milan. In the 1500s it was in a period of peace and in the 1800s it became an industrial village, with spinning mills and twisting.
WHAT TO SEE IN MANDELLO DEL LARIO?
- Chiesa di San Lorenzo: it’s a Paleochristian church, was rebuilt in 9th century and renovated in the Romanesque period. The refined baptistery and the altar date back to 1500s.
- Chiesa di San Giorgio: is located in the namesake hamlet and dates back to 1000. It was restored in 1300s; the only original piece is the stoup.
- Santuario della Madonna del Fiume: is a noteworthy Baroque church, since it houses several frescoes.
- Ferrera cave, situated in Acqua Bianca locality, is 175 meters long and 50 meters wide. Inside, a small stream shapes a waterfall. It’s easily accessible, at the edges of a mule track.
- The lowest part of Mandello develops along the lakefront: lanes, typical buildings and a small marina give it the lovely atmosphere typical of Lake Como.
LET’S SUNBATHE!
Lakefront’s coves, in the center of Mandello, have now became crowded and appreciated pebble beaches.
The lido has a bar, a grassy area and a small beach…if you want, you can also rent a beach chair for the whole day.
DO YOU HAVE KIDS? MANDELLO HAS SOMETHING FOR THEM!
On Mandello lakefront is a wonderful playground for kids: swings, slides, a skate park, a racetrack, a zip line and more over! Oh, and obviously…benches to relax or admire the lake and some picnic tables to have lunch!
ARE YOU INTO TREKKING? THIS IS FOR YOU!
Use Mandello as the starting point to reach:
- Pian dei Resinelli: this trek takes you around 3 hours and is quite difficult
- Grigne: this trek takes you around 5 hours and is very difficult.
A VISIT TO MOTO GUZZI!
Moto Guzzi is an excellence of the Made in Italy and is produced in Mandello del Lario. You can visit the museum from Monday to Friday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. (in July from 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.) to admire more than 150 motorcycles!