Placed “….on that branch of Lake Como that faces south…” Lecco is the place where Alessandro Manzoni set most part of his novel “The Betrothed”- To deepen the knowledge of this literary masterpiece and of his author, we suggest guided visits that can take in half day or full day according to:
Visit of the Museum inside villa Manzoni al Caleotto, residence of the author’s father where he spent long periods of his youth; later, a walk along the left shore of the river Adda, in the hamlet called Pescarenico, evoking the very famous passage of the novel known as “farewell to the mountains” with a tour through the old hamlet of fishermen where we can find the church and the convent associated to “Friar Cristoforo”; the franciscan community, operative here since 1576 according the will of the Cardinal Borromeo and suppressed in 1810, is still recalled by the structure and by the church paraments.
Starting from the locality called Somasca in the town of Vercurago (6 km from the historic centre of Lecco), following the track of a Sacred Mountain dedicated to the figure of San Gerolamo Emilaini, protector of the abandoned young people and considered the founder of the Order of the Somaschi Fathers, we will reach the fortress where probably Alessandro Manzoni imagined the castle of the Innominato. It will be an emotional experience to submerge in history and visit what remains of an old castle with military functions on the ancient border between the Dukedom of Milan and the Republic of Venice, enjoying a spectacular view.
Staying close to the lakeside of Lecco, a walk through its small historic centre explaining the most important squares, monuments and buildings, will prepare the visitor for a private boat tour from where it will be extremely suggestive to admire the landscape of Lecco area, unique for its “mountains arising from the waters” and placed in the point where the Lario sees its only emissary (the great river Adda) come out from Lake Como and go down towards south.
