Lombardia – Live Eat Colour

Santa Caterina del Sasso

Published on October 1, 2017October 2, 2017 by Vanessa Gregoria4 Comments

While visiting with my family in Luino, we visited a beautiful heritage site not too far away. Eremo di Santa Caterina del Sasso is an old Roman Catholic monastery perched on the shore of Lago Maggiore, facing the Gulf of Borromean Islands. It is situated in the municipality of Leggiuno in Varese, Lombardia (see map). The monastery can be reached a few ways. We took the long winding stairway by foot. However, you can also take an elevator down or by ferry across the Lago Maggiore.

This monastery was founded by a wealthy merchant, Alberto Besozzi in 1170. The story goes that after his boat capsized in a storm he prayed to St Catherine to be saved. He declared that if he was saved he would give all his money to the poor and retire a hermit. After surviving the storm he did, in fact, live in a cave as a hermit. However, when a plague struck in 1195, the local people asked for his help. He agreed to help them in return for their help in building a votive chapel to St Catherine. After his death in 1205, Besozzi was buried near the chapel and people would come there to pray for cures to ailments.

The site was later documented as a hermitage 1301 after people began coming to live there as hermits. By the 1700’s the hermitage went into decline, due to Enlightenment reforms in Lombardia. The foundations of the site also became weak over time. It wasn’t until 1914 that the Italian government deemed it a national monument. However, after major restoration works in the 1970’s it was not open to the public until 1986.

The site consists of three buildings, the southern convent, the small convent and the main church. This church dates back to the end of the 16th century and is the artistic and spiritual heart of the Hermitage. On the altar-piece, there are scenes of St Catherine with the Virgin and child and St Nicholas with Blessed Alberto Besozzi. Besozzi body is also on display in a glass coffin.

If you are in the area, this site is worth the trip. It is truly a beautiful and spiritual place. It can be quite crowded though, as it is a tourist hotspot. You can visit it alone or do a guided tour, which would give great insight into its history. For more information on directions and opening times, see the official website.

Como: panoramic lake views and splendid villas

Published on September 5, 2017 by Vanessa Gregoria3 Comments

After staying Milano it was time to go further north to visit my family. On the way, we stopped at the north Italian town of Como. This idyllic town sits on Lake Como and the Swiss-Italian border. The amazing panoramic views of mountains and the lake is a little piece of paradise and is known for its’ rich and famous residents.

I’ve always wanted to visit Como, but for some reason or another never got here while I was living in Milano. Luckily we were able to drive to Como and up through Switzerland to visit my family in Luino, Italy. This took roughly the same amount of time as it would be to drive directly north. So we made a stop for a couple of hours to see the majestic lake and have some lunch.

Our first impressions of Como was the gorgeous old architecture and bustling narrow streets full of shops and cafes. Nearly every directions you look had a beautiful mountainous backdrop.

Arrive into Como

Via Vittorio Emanuele

Piazza Duomo

Chiesa di San Giacomo

Via Caio Plinio Second

Lungo Lario Trento

Teatro Sociale di Como

Like every Italian town, there was a beautiful Duomo in the centre of the city. Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta is a very special duomo because it is last Gothic cathedral built in Italy. It was built between 1396 to 1770.

The Lago di Como (Lake Como) is a huge body of water and is the third largest lake in Italy. Many wealthy people have built and resided in homes along the shore of the river, as far back as Roman times. It really is so spectacular to see in person and feels like your looking into a beautiful landscape painting. The lake is actually shaped like a wishbone and the city of Como is situated on the bottom left of the fork shape.

Lungo Lario Trento

View from Lungo Lario Trento

Lungo Lario Trento

View from Lungo Lario Trento

View from Diga foranea Piero Caldirola

We continued walking around the Giardini del Tempio Voltiano and up to the Aero Club Como to see new perspectives of the lake. The garden itself is quite beautiful and plush and has many war memorials. If you have the time, you can take a small water plane from the Aero Club and see even more amazing birds eyes views. You can also visit the museum Tempio Voltiano, which is dedicated to the inventor of the electrical battery, Alessandro Volta.

View from Giardini del Tempio Voltiano

Tempio Voltiano, Giardini del Tempio Voltiano

Monumento alla Resistenza Europea, Giardini del Tempio Voltiano

Giardini del Tempio Voltiano

View from Giardini del Tempio Voltiano

Monumento ai caduti

Aero Club Como

View from Passeggiata Villa Olmo

Basamento donato dalla famiglia Comasca

View from Passeggiata Villa Olmo

The Passeggiata Villa Olmo is a scenic pedestrian road along the river. This walk will take you past the splendid villas, all the way to neoclassical Villa Olmo. Unfortunately on our visit we were not able to walk all the way to the Villa Olmo, as there was work being done on the grounds and the garden beds were all taken out. I wish the tourist office had mentioned that after they recommended we visit it. I imagine doing a tour of these villas would be amazing, to learn their history and see their interiors.

Villa Saporiti ‘la Rotono’, Passeggiata Lino Gelpi

View from Passeggiata Lino Gelpi

Passeggiata Lino Gelpi

View from Passeggiata Lino Gelpi

Villa Gallia, Passeggiata Lino Gelpi

Passeggiata Lino Gelpi

Villa Parravicini Revel, Passeggiata Lino Gelpi

Villa Olmo, Passeggiata Lino Gelpi

Passeggiata Lino Gelpi

After all that walking we were really hungry. So we walked back towards to centre and headed to a hidden gem. L’Ora della Pasta is a small fast-service lunch bar that serves fresh pasta and ready made meals. They use organic and high quality ingredients and offer vegetarian and vegan options. You only need to choose your pasta and sauce and they will whip you up a lovely authentic meal that is reasonably priced and really delicious. We ordered Gnocchi al pesto and Ravioli con mozzarella di bufala.

So that was my short visit to Como. I hope you enjoyed revisiting it with me. If you would like to know more about this beautiful town, see Visit Como website for more information.

Bergamo: a medieval marvel

Published on August 27, 2017September 5, 2017 by Vanessa GregoriaLeave a comment

While visiting the Lombardia I wanted to see some of the smaller towns. So off we went to the beautiful medieval town of Bergamo. It is less than an hours drive by car (or train) from Milano, so it’s a perfect day trip outside of the big city. There is also an airport in Bergamo, which is about 20 minutes from the city center.

Bergamo can be divided into two halves, Alta città (upper city) and Bassa città (lower city). The upper city is the older part, which dates back to around 49 BC. They have quite an interesting history and if I could go back (without a toddler) I would do a historical tour. The local cuisine is also amazing, so make sure you arrive hungry.

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Milano: amazing food and beautiful architecture

Published on August 13, 2017September 6, 2017 by Vanessa Gregoria3 Comments

In my last post, you saw some a few of my favourite places in Milano. However, there is so much more to this city. I spent a semester studying at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. I hope you enjoy reminiscing with me on my favourite eats and places to visit.

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Milano: a home away from home

Published on July 21, 2017September 5, 2017 by Vanessa GregoriaLeave a comment

Next stop on our trip was Italy. We stayed in Milano for a few nights so we could spend time with family and visit some nearby cities before heading up north to Luino. Milano has a special place in my heart, as I spent a semester living here when I was in my third year of Italian studies a few years back. When I wasn’t studying, I was walking, eating and shopping my way through the city or travelling to nearby cities. I’ve already seen all the sites, so I wanted to spend a day just enjoying my favourite places and doing a bit of shopping.

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