Colico (
Comasque: or ; la, Colicum) is a city in the
province of Lecco
The Province of Lecco ( it, provincia di Lecco; Lecchese: ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecco.
As of 2017, the province had a population of 337,211 on a surface of divided into ...
,
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
, Italy. It is situated on the northern arm of
Lake Como
Lake Como ( it, Lago di Como , ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh de Còmm , ''Cómm'' or ''Cùmm'' ), also known as Lario (; after the la, Larius Lacus), is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of , making it the thir ...
, where the river
Adda enters the lake. Colico is the most important city in the northern part of Lake Como, which is often identified as its Colico branch.
Colico is a local transport hub, with boats to
Como
Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label=Comasco dialect, Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.
Its proximity to Lake Como and ...
and
Lecco
Lecco (, , ; lmo, label=Lecchese, Lècch ) is a city of 48,131 inhabitants in Lombardy, northern Italy, north of Milan. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como (the branch is named ''Branch of Lecco'' / ''Ramo di Lecco''). ...
, as well as trains and roads to
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
(via the eastern shore of the lake,
Lecco
Lecco (, , ; lmo, label=Lecchese, Lècch ) is a city of 48,131 inhabitants in Lombardy, northern Italy, north of Milan. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como (the branch is named ''Branch of Lecco'' / ''Ramo di Lecco''). ...
and
Brianza
Brianza (, , lmo, label=Brianzöö dialect, Briànsa) is a geographical, historical and cultural area of Italy, at the foot of the Alps, in the northwest of Lombardy, between Milan and Lake Como.
Geography
Brianza extends from th ...
), to
Chiavenna
Chiavenna ( lmo, Ciavèna ; la, Clavenna; rm, Clavenna or ''Claven''; archaic german: Cläven or ''Kleven'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is the centre of the Alpine ...
, and eastwards to
Bolzano
Bolzano ( or ; german: Bozen, (formerly ); bar, Bozn; lld, Balsan or ) is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third la ...
, via
Passo dello Stelvio
''Giogo dello Stèlvio''german: Stilfser Joch
, photo = The_Stelvio_pass.jpg
, photo_caption = Some of the 48 hairpin turns near the top of the eastern ramp of the Stelvio Pass
, photo_alt =
, map = Alps
, map_caption = Location of Stelvio Pass in ...
.
The
Piona Abbey
The Piona Priory or Piona Abbey,Observe Piona in Leonardo's Last Supper at the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. is a religious complex on the Lecco bank of Lake Como in the territory of the municipality of Colico, northern Ita ...
is located in the communal territory, in the Olgiasca peninsula.
Geography
Colico is dominated by
Monte Legnone
Monte Legnone is a mountain of the Bergamo Alps in Lombardy, northern Italy. It is located between the valleys of Valsassina and Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline (occasionally spelled as two words in English: Val Telline; rm, Vuc ...
, at above sea level, and high foothills. Near Colico is an important
natural reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
, the migration corridor of the
Pian di Spagna
The Riserva Naturale Pian di Spagna e Lago di Mezzola is a nature reserve in Lombardy, Italy. The reserve consists of the Lago di Mezzola and the wetland area which separates it from Lake Como, the Pian di Spagna. It includes parts of the comun ...
(in the province of Como). The two main waterways of Colico are Inganna and Perlino; the river Adda is a natural boundary between the provinces of Como and Lecco.
Main sights
Forts
*
Fort Montecchio
Fort Montecchio-Lusardi is a military fort situated in Colico, in the province of Lecco, northern Italy. It was built between 1911 and 1914.
It is the only Italian fort from World War I which has been preserved intact with its original weapons. T ...
, a fort built during World War I
*
Fort Fuentes
Fort Fuentes, it, Forte di Fuentes, italic=no, is a former military fort on the hill of Montecchio or Monteggiolo near Colico, in the province of Lecco, Lombardy, northern Italy.
It was built by the Spanish governor of Milan, Don Pedro Enríqu ...
, a fort built by the Spanish governor of Milan in the early 17th century
Towers
The whole area was fortified during the Middle Ages, before the construction of the Fort Fuentes. On the northern Montecchio hill are still visible two guard towers, which formed the so-called Castle Colico, built in the
Medieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense (both physical defense and of traditional freedoms) among the citizens of a town or city. These took many forms and varied widely in organization and makeup.
C ...
period to control the road from Valtellina. The most important from a strategic point of view was Fontanedo Tower, part of a more complex work of fortification built during the 14th century by
Visconti
Visconti is a surname which may refer to:
Italian noble families
* Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447
** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan
* Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...
. From the tower it was possible to dominate the Upper Lake, the hinterland of Colico and the area of the
Lake Mezzola
Lago di Mezzola is a small lake in the Italian region of Lombardy, measuring .
Geography
It lies between the Pian di Spagna to the south, which divides it from Lake Como and is an ecologically important wetland habitat, and the Piano di Chiave ...
.
In defense of the ancient road linking Lake Como with Valtellina, within the territory of Curcio, there is another lookout tower, now transformed into a farm house and called the Curcio tower.
Another part of the defense system is Fortino d'Adda, or Stallone, located out of the border municipalities in the territory of Gera Lario. Its unique structure has slots for the shot of a firearm and a brick bridge that connects the main entrance to the plain. It is currently used for storage. Another fort is placed in the territory of
Olgiasca
Olgiasca is a frazione of the comune of Colico (Province of Lecco), northern Italy. It is located in the eponymous peninsula on the northern eastern shore of the Lake Como.
A manse, consisting of the hill of Olgiasca in 1241 was leased from the ch ...
. It is a casaforte ("stronghouse", or fortified house), which from the top of the hill controls the town below. It is known as the Castle of Mirabello and it is thought to have been built in the first half of the 16th century.
Roccoli
Roccoli, or bird snares, are tree architectures, equipped with nets placed vertically, which surround a sort of stone tower from which the hunting was run. They have long been formidable weapons to catch birds which, at the approaching of winter, migrate southwards. This activity was economically important for Colico, placed on the route of the flocks. Of the many bird snares active until about forty years ago, are still well preserved those located near Piona and along the road that goes up to the Fort Fuentes.
Religious buildings
*
Piona Abbey
The Piona Priory or Piona Abbey,Observe Piona in Leonardo's Last Supper at the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy. is a religious complex on the Lecco bank of Lake Como in the territory of the municipality of Colico, northern Ita ...
, located in the
Olgiasca
Olgiasca is a frazione of the comune of Colico (Province of Lecco), northern Italy. It is located in the eponymous peninsula on the northern eastern shore of the Lake Como.
A manse, consisting of the hill of Olgiasca in 1241 was leased from the ch ...
peninsula, and home to a
Romanesque church built in the mid-11th century, and later enlarged.
*The small Romanesque church of San Rocco, originally dedicated to the Saints Fabian and Sebastian, located outside the town on the slopes of Monte Legnone, almost midway between the streams of Inganna and Perlino, at a height of five hundred meters.
Traces of painting, particularly in the apse, are due to an unknown painter from the early 15th century. They include the
Christ Pantocrator
In Christian iconography, Christ Pantocrator ( grc-gre, Χριστὸς Παντοκράτωρ) is a specific depiction of Christ. ''Pantocrator'' or ''Pantokrator'', literally ''ruler of all'', but usually translated as "Almighty" or "all-po ...
, flanked by the prophets
Jeremiah
Jeremiah, Modern: , Tiberian: ; el, Ἰερεμίας, Ieremíās; meaning " Yah shall raise" (c. 650 – c. 570 BC), also called Jeremias or the "weeping prophet", was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish ...
and
Isaiah
Isaiah ( or ; he, , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "God is Salvation"), also known as Isaias, was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named.
Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the ...
. A restoration campaign held in recent years discovered an interesting fresco depicting the
Last Supper
Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, Depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art have been undertaken by artistic masters for centuries, ...
.
Villas
*Villa Malpensata, located in an isolated position on the lake shore, facing the lake near Olgiasca. It is a 19th-century building, which incorporates an older structure.
*Villa Osio, located at the end of Via Lungolario Polti and forms the boundary to the shore. It is currently privately owned.
Culture
Media
The main newspapers are the provincial ones: ''La Gazzetta di Lecco'' or ''La Provincia di Lecco''; "Teleunica" is the main local TV of the province.
Events
The most important event taking place in Colico is the Italian stage of the World Cup of
kitesurfing
Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wak ...
. A classical music
festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
, ''Musica sull'Acqua'' (Water Music), takes place in Piazza Garibaldi and at the Abbey of Piona. The feast of
San Rocco
Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327, also called Rock in English, is a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is especially invoked a ...
is celebrated on 16 August in the homonymous church.
Human geography
Colico is formed by a centre and several
frazioni
A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist era (1922–1943) as ...
.
Centre
The centre is situated between Piazza Garibaldi, Via Vitali, Largo San Giorgio and Via Pontile. This district contains the main services of Colico. Between Via Municipio and Piazza Alpini are the
City Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
, the library, the church of
Saint George
Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...
and the main schools. The post office is in Via Villatico.
This district has a long beach, a field of soccer, tennis courts and a school of
sailing
Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...
.
There are a parking lot for motor vehicles, a beach and a school of surfing and kite flying. Near the centre is the industrial zone, home to several factories and the town's landfill.
Frazioni
A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist era (1922–1943) as ...
The main ''frazioni'' are Colico Piano, Villatico, Curcio (and Palerma locality), Laghetto (composed of Borgonuovo, Corte, La Cà, Fumiarga, Piona localities), Posallo, Fontanedo, San Rocco.
They rise around the parochial churches, whose origins go back to various periods. The most ancient is the parish of
Nicola of Bari (celebrated on 6 December) in Olgiasca; traces of its building go back to 1252. A document dated 7 November 1593 speaks of the "Parish priory, or Piona Abbey", in charge of
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
monks.
Economy
The economy is mainly based on tourism, but industry holds a strong second place, as the expanding industrial zone shows, and there is also a large presence of banks. The tourism is mainly focused on the many campsites. The industry boasts leading brands of construction trucks (
Iveco
IVECO, an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation, is an Italian multinational transport vehicle manufacturing company. It designs and builds light, medium, and heavy commercial vehicles. The name IVECO first appeared in 1975 after a merger o ...
) and yachts (Cranchi).
Transportation
Colico is served by a railway station on the
Tirano–Lecco railway
The Tirano–Lecco railway is an electrified railway line in Lombardy, Italy.
The first section of the line, between Sondrio and Colico, was opened in 1885. It was completed in 1892–1894 with the section from Colico to Lecco, where it was connec ...
, which was once electrified with
three phase
Three-phase electric power (abbreviated 3φ) is a common type of alternating current used in electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of polyphase system employing three wires (or four including an optional neutral r ...
- 3000 V by the
Hungarian firm Ganz in 1901. Between 1885 and 1886 Colico was connected with
Sondrio
Sondrio (; lmo, Sùndri; rm, Sunder; archaic german: Sünders or ; la, Sundrium) is an Italian city and ''comune'' and Provincial Capital located in the heart of the Valtellina. , Sondrio counts approximately 21,876 inhabitants (2015) and it is ...
and
Chiavenna
Chiavenna ( lmo, Ciavèna ; la, Clavenna; rm, Clavenna or ''Claven''; archaic german: Cläven or ''Kleven'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is the centre of the Alpine ...
, although a link with
Lecco
Lecco (, , ; lmo, label=Lecchese, Lècch ) is a city of 48,131 inhabitants in Lombardy, northern Italy, north of Milan. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como (the branch is named ''Branch of Lecco'' / ''Ramo di Lecco''). ...
was active only from 1894. The line was then operated by the
Adriatic Network, one of three major companies that remained in effect until 1905, year of birth of the
Ferrovie dello Stato
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane S.p.A. ( "Italian Railways of the State"; previously only Ferrovie dello Stato, hence the abbreviation FS) is Italy's national state-owned railway holding company that manages transport, infrastructure, real estat ...
.
Piona has also a railway station.
Twin cities
*
Wolfegg
Wolfegg is a town in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.
Overview
It is the site of Wolfegg Castle, the home of the Princes of Waldburg-Wolfegg, longtime owners of the only known copy of the Waldseemüller map. The map ...
, Germany
References
External links
Official website
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