DA LENNO A TREMEZZO

This walk leads over secondary roads, alley-ways, and old cobble stone tracks through small hamlets of historical interest among old palaces, antique houses and churches, and picturesque village squares.

Starting point of the walk: Lenno Dolcelago Holiday Home

Itinerary: Lenno - Mezzegra - Bonzanigo - Viano - Volesio - Balogno - Tremezzo

RETURN TO LENNO: by busline C10, by boat or hydrofoil, or on foot

ASCENT: 80m

Total walking time: 2.00 hrs.

Difficulty: easy

Cross the bridge on the stream just behind Lenno Dolcelago, and pick up the via “Cooperativa”.

It leads behind the “bocce game” of the Cooperativa. Turn imediately into the lane on the right following the rudimental sign for Mezzegra –Pola.

You then follow a flight of steps that lead down to a little bridge over the stream Pola. Ascend the opposte side of the valley in order to reach Pola, part of the township of Mezzegra.

You follow the paved secondary road for about 500m and then pick up “Via Pola Vecchia” on the left. You now find yourself on a stretch of the Greenway, a walk of about 10 km in between Colonno and Cadenabbia.

You come out onto via Brentano which you follow to the right, past the oratory of S. Giuseppe (built at the beginning of the 17th century), to the church of S. Abbondio. From the churchyard you have a nice view of the lake. The church was probably founded in the XII century but rebuilt in the 17th century, sparing the old roman church on the right now used as parish house.

From the church you continue along via Brentano and slightly downhill you arrive at Palazzo Brentano. This palace of the 17th century was built by the influent local Brentano family, who made their fortune as merchants, mainly in Holland and Germany.

They left their native towns, like other local families, as merchants of local the products such as lemons, chesnuts and olive oil, and achieved positions in the European commerce.

In all the towns of northern Europe where the East Indian Trade Company brought the first spices, there was a member of these local families like the Brentano, Mainoni, Pini and Carli. With time some of these merchants became so rich that it enabled them to built beautiful palaces in their native towns.

Part of Palazzo Brentano is nowadays used as townhall. You pass through the antique urban centre of Bonzanigo - we reccomend a stroll through its little alleys - and then you end up on the paved road near Palazzo Rosati of the 17th century.

Here you leave the Green Way and proceed straight on to a small parking lot. Ignore the Via delle Mele and pick up the small lane that ascends through an olive grove with a nice view of Mezzegra.

At the end of the lane, turn right and, at the washhouse in the hamlet of Viano, follow via Mainoni d’Intignano to the left. At the next intersection pick up via Interna on the left.

At the end of the street turn right and then left past the little church S. Rocco, built in 1690. At the next bend, turn left into via Romolo Quaglino which leads uphill to the hamlet Intignano. Continue straight on till the end of the town. A track leads downhill along the valley and just past the public wash place you enter the hamlet Volesio.

Continue the descent along via Monte Crocione and note on the left, at house n° 12, the portal of Palazzo Mainoni with the family coat of arms on the arcade. Slightly ahead thare is the little church of S. Pietro and Paolo, and on the arcade opposite the church the family coat of arms of the Carli family is still visible. Continue along via Monte Crocione and cross the road that leads up from Tremezzo.

You then cross another paved road in order to follow the continuation of Via Monte Crocione. This leads down to the lake side road near the entrance gate of Hotel Villa Marie at the southern end of Tremezzo.

Thanks to www.lakecomo.it