The Viandante
Viandantee Path
Viandant
Path
Il Sentiero
Sentiero del Viandant
VViandante
iandantee
Texts and photographies by Angelo Colombo
Translation by Jennifer Pirelli
An interesting excursion itinerary that passes through our zone is
that of “Sentiero del Viandante”, the ancient way of connection
between Lecco and Valtellina, recently recovered, that was once
indicated as “Via Ducale” or “Via Regia” and in nearer times also
as “ Strada dei viandanti” (“road of the wayfarers”) or “Napoleona”.
The old way had been neglected when the austrian government
decided to open a new military road for the Stelvio, founding it on
the intersections of Colico and Lecco, completed in 1832 following
the pathway of the present provincial road 72.
The path, that passes through the territory of Dervio, starts from
Abbadia and arrives at Colico, following in the middle side of the
mountain the eastern shore of the Lario and it is indicated with
road signs. The itineraries proposed that have Dervio as the point
of start, offer in the space of
a few hours, the best of the
landscape characteristics of
this territory, with fascinating
views, geological singularities, historical and spiritual
stories, rural buildings,
vineyards and terracings, but
also arboreal species and
wild fauna; to taste moments
of diversion, absorbed in an
atmosphere that connects
the lake with the sky.
Panorama of the path from Dorio to Dervio
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The Viandante Path
Il Sentiero del Viandante
Dervio - Lezzeno - Bellano
Lenght: 4,5 Km
Duration: 1.5-2 Hours
The itinerary starts from the
railway station (FS) of Dervio (see
the map on page 14, turning into
the stairs and going on straight,
you will find on the left the Cavour
square with the De Magni XIV
century palace, that had been the
house of the bishop Mgr Francesco
Magni, dead martyr in China. At
the crossing you get the road on
the right along the via Diaz and
you walk across it until you reach,
at the point of the Varrone river,
the pathway of the “Sentiero del
Viandante”. Here you can admire
the church of St.Quirico and Giulitta with the nice Romanesque bell
Map to 40.000 by Raffaella Mastalli
Church of San Quirico e Giulitta
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Panorama of Dervio from Ronchi
tower (XI-XII century).
The itinerary goes on
along a road suitable for
vehicles, via Duca d’Aosta,
to reach the locality
Balma, where you find a
public wash house, fed
by the overlooking Sedeia
valley. This is the starting
point of the equipped
climbing cliff, that uses
the rocks of the massive promontory that dominates Dervio. Proceeding along the road, you
arrive at the “Crotto del Cech”, from where before the underpass of the railway, starts the
nice mule track paved with cobblestones that goes up towards the cottages of the “Chignolo”.
Here you can already admire the view of the new touristic port, the sailing centers and of the
peninsula of Dervio. When you have crossed the valley of the “Chignolo”, you go up toward
the “Ronchi”, a group of cottages placed on the descendants of the “Muggio” mountain,
meeting along the mule
track: carvings, cupels
and steps dug in the
rock signed by the ageold crossing of the sleds.
At the junction with the
road to the “Ronchi”,
you go to the right in the
direction south along
the pathway, where
beautiful panoramic
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The path excavated in the rock
The Viandante Path
Il Sentiero del Viandante
views of Bellano and Dervio open, with the lake often streaked by sailing boats. Crossed, on the
wooden bridge, the “Val Granda” you enter the territory of Bellano, meeting a little after the
locality of Verginate with restructured cottages and a little chapel of baroque style. Proceeding
between the terracings with traces of the vine and olive trees cultivations, you overtake a valley from which starts the asphalted road that takes to the high part of the country hamlet Oro,
this develops with its restructured rural houses till the shore of the lake and from them stands
up the bell tower of the church St.Gottardo. Proceeding you turn on the left and take the steps
of recent construction that go up towards Pendaglio, at the junction you take the path on the
right, that, going over a fountain, crosses the lawns in a
banked position in respect
to the motorway. You cross
the shadowy valley of the
mills with the ruins of the
buildings and then you
proceed between lawns
with barns and chestnut
trees, overtaking a valley
with a stony bridge. In
this way you reach the
first cottages and houses
of Lezzeno and crossing
the provincial road to
Farm house at Lezzeno
Vendrogno you pass near an
old public wash house in the middle of the historical centre. The pathway reaches Lezzeno’s
sanctuary (mt.370) erected between the years 1690 and 1704, dedicated to the Virgin Mary
and from this square you admire a lovely view on the lake. After a break for the visit, you go
to the back of the church from where you take a pathway in direction south that crosses an
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asphalted road and then reaches the
provincial road. Taking the road on
the left you enter Ombriaco, where
you can see the church of St. Bernardino. Before reaching the steps
that go up to the church, you take
the mule track on the right in steep
descent towards Bellano, walking
along the cemetery until you
reach the church of St.Rocco. The
“Sentiero del Viandante” continues
on the left in direction of Biosio,
crossing the bridge on the Pioverna
river, but our itinerary ends walking
down the steps that take to the
Orrido, natural monument that
deserves a visit, with a series of
jumps of water and high waterfalls
inside ravines. Then you pass near
the parish church, dedicated to the
saints Nazareno and Celso, and the
building of industrial archeology, ex
Cotonificio cantoni. Finally, crossing
the Pioverna on the provincial 72,
you reach the station of Bellano,
from where with all the local trains
or the buses for the Valvarrone you
can return to Dervio.
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Sanctuary of Lezzeno
Parish church of Bellano
The Viandante Path
Il Sentiero del Viandante
Dervio - Corenno Plinio - Dorio
Lenght: 4 Km
Duration: 1.5-2 Hours
Map to 40.000 by Raffaella Mastalli
7
This itinerary also starts from the train station of Dervio, and following the previous indications you reach the level of the Varrone river, the pathway of the “Sentiero del Viandante”.
Here you can admire the church of St. Quirico and Giulitta with the nice Romanesque bell
tower (XI-XII century).
Starting from the church you cross the bridge again, strategical point of the itinerary and
where in medieval times the merchants paid a duty; you take on the right the road via Giglio
with the factory buildings of the old obsolete paper mills, following it until you meet the road
that goes to the Valvarrone right next to the “Fonte delle Lavine”, from where spring waters
come directly from the mountain. After 30 meters on the road, a road sign indicates a nice
mule track with terraces sustained by stony massive walls, that go up quickly between lawns,
high walls and emerging rocks until the built-up area of Castello. As you reach the area
you smell the archaic flavour of a fortified village, rich of episodes that everyone can easily
imagine, up to a characteristic arched door of exit towards north: on the side, on top of the
hill rises an high tower of the XI-XII century, from the green level where also the old church
of St. Leonardo is located, at the present time with baroque characteristic, but existing since
the XII century and with a fresco of 1567. The castle (mt.282) observed from the high rocky
spur the access to
the localities of
the Valvarrone, on
top of the ravine
in which the river
rumbles: it was
the “Castrum de
Orezia”, of the
Capitanei of the
parish church of
Dervio.
Castle of Dervio
8
The lawns behind the castle are partly still cultivated with vine; the view of the lake and of the
opposite shore are fascinating. Descending and passing near the public wash house and under
the overpass you take the asphalted provincial for about 200 meters, until the roundabout of
the interchange S.S. 36. Here you go straight on walking along the power station and then the
sustaining walls of the dual-carriageway; in Chiari, group of cottages now all reconstructed
you will see a fountain. Following the itinerary, on the left you find the rural complex with
stony walls that formed the Monastero of Saint Clemente of the Umiliati, known from 1295 and
alienated in 1571. A little after you overtake the duct that supplies the hydroelectric generating
station of Dervio, and so reappears in its ancient conformation the mule track with a
pavement of cobblestones and in certain points with rock carved in steps: lawns, valleys, vines,
olives and chestnuts give back, with some rocky cottages, a breathe of some time ago. Between
walls with stones, the road descends with a large view on Corenno Plinio and its castle, one of
the most characteristic villages of Lake Como, that certainly deserves a visit.
Corenno Plinio
The itinerary, that descends toward the provincial 72, offers the possibility to observe
little by little the spreading out of the characteristic buildings of Corenno Plinio, that
represent one of the villages more genuine of the lake. The medieval imprint is immediately underlined in the rustic square in cobblestones, with the fountain, the statue of
the soldiers killed in battle surrounded by plane trees and the high walls of the enclosed
castle that overlooks the village. It’s one of the most important fortifications of Lombardy and of the best conserved; at the solid squared tower rooted on the rock (XI century),
it was added by the Andreani Counts after two centuries, in the three hundred, a very
compact crenellated fence, provided with two sailing towers. You enter in the living area
of the village, through narrow and steep big steps, sometimes carved in the live rock,
until you reach the little pier, placed against the little houses with flowery balconies and
with a wonderful entrance on top of a staircase carved in the rock. Near the castle, the
9
The Curch of Corenno with the tombs
church of St. Tommaso of Canterbury contains frescos from the three
hundred to the five hundred. On
the parvis of the church there are
rare examples of gothic sculpture
represented by three marble
funerary arks of the Andreani, with
day decors, emblems, reliefs and
evangelic symbols.
Corenno Plinio - Dorio
The itinerary starts again towards
Dorio on the provincial road, that
occupies the ancient ditch that fenced
the castle; after about 200 meters, it starts again on the right the mule track, that passes near
the cemetery built in 1819 and preceded by the neoclassic chapel of the Andreani - Sormani
family, illustrated in 1837 by a nice crucifixion frescoed by Giovambattista Sertorio. The
pathway follows for a section the advancement of the provincial, in the middle of little houses
and gardens, signaled by shrines and passes under the cottages of the Guasto, to enter then the
territory of Dorio, removed from Dervio in 1452.
With a short slope you reach Torchiedo, name probably originated by a press, and then Panico,
walking for a little on the carriage road. We are at 300
meters and in a full agrestic scenery, in spite of some
recent construction, we meet stony cottages, gardens,
olives, short streams and the pathway goes into the
woods. Relics of mills remain in Valletta, a place that
goes down in direction of the lake with the building
named Filatoio, created in 1840: therefore you go up
10
Chestnut trees
The Viandante Path
Il Sentiero del Viandante
Church of Giorgio
to the church of St.Giorgio, from 1506 first parochial of Dorio,
already existing in 1412. The white plaster of the seven hundred
recast contrasts with the colors of the surrounding landscape; the
left wall of the interior has a big fresco of 1492 that represents
the Madonna and Saints and St.Giorgio victorious on the dragon.
Proceeding, you go up the characteristic center of Mandonìco,
a group of old houses, stables and barns made with local stone,
complex and regular geometries that are composed using the
easy movements of ledges; here we find lawns and gardens
with terraces sustained by dry walls and a nice view on the lake. From Mandonìco or from the
church of St.Giorgio You can descend to Dorio, in the old historic center full of steps and alleys,
from the high houses crowded together with the new parochial of St.Giorgio reconstructed in
1859 and decorated by Tagliaferri. Here there is a train station for those who would like to
finish the walk and return to Dervio.
Mandonico
11
Church of S. Rocco
Dorio - Posallo
Lenght: 5 Km
Duration: 2,5-3 Hours
Proceeding on the pathway in
the middle of the woods from
Mandonìco, after a little chapel with
a recent fresco of the Madonna with
the child you reach the cottages and
the shadowy Val di Asen. The steep
mule track crosses the coast, hold
by solid stony walls, and surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation with heaths and brooms you
reach the church of St. Rocco, reconstructed because of cholera in 1856 (484 meters). From
the square settled in a nice viewpoint you admire the landscape of Dorio, of the peninsula of
Dervio and the underlying ronchi of Vesgallo; the ancient human presence in these places is
testified by a beautiful prehistoric bronze axe, conserved at the museum in Como. Under the
center is Olgiasca, located on a peninsula, rich in fossiliferous formations, in garnets and tourmalines, in exhausted mines, that were used for the Romanesque columns of St. Lorenzo and
for the Arch of Peace of Milano. The peninsula stretches out in the lake, forming the small bay
of the little lake of Piona. On the
summit you can recognize the
complex of the Cluniac abbey of
St. Nicolò, where the Romanesque church is placed side by
side by the splendid cloister
erected from 1252 to 1257.
The road to St. Rocco goes up
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Peninsula of the Piona abbey
Roebuck
in direction north east with ripid mule
tracks in cobblestones, running alongside in
panoramic position the little lake of Piona
and going around the spurs of the Legnoncino (1714 meters). This is a territory often
populated by wild animals, like roe deers,
badgers, foxes , while from the overhanging
mountains hawks come down. Surrounded
by the woods, you reach the Perdonasco
mountain (600 meters) in vertical over the
Fontana, which from medieval times signs the border with Colico on the lake. Perdonasco is
at the bottom between the various old summer pastures, Vercin, Vezzèe, Sommafiume, that go
back up the foot of the mountain and are today frequented destinations for weekend visits.
Remaining in height and overtaking the Noh valley with a characteristic fountain, we cross the
Sparesèe mountain, where from 1969 rises the church of the Madonna dei Monti; immediately after you meet a mine of mica, a mineral with shining stratums and strong insulating
properties. Crossing the woods, with some presence of conifers, a part unsurfaced reaches the
carriage road that descends from the Piazzo mountain; following it for a good piece, at first
rectilinear and then with rapid hairpin bends, in a land sprinkled with erratic rocks, you reach
finally Posallo, near the Perlino torrent. From Posallo, to reach the train station of Piona or the
provincial road 72, you can continue on the carriage road, that crosses Fumiarga and passes
near the parochial
of the fraction
Laghetto of Colico.
View on the lake of
Piona
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42 B&BNORA
Tourist Map of Dervio
43 B&B LARIO
44 RESIDENCE OASI DEL VIANDANTE
45 B&B LA CASA DEL POETA
Accomodations
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Tu
B E D
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Dervio
Via Valvarrone, 28
Tel. 0341.804.383
Cel. 338.9954746 Cel. 347.7871625
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Via al Castello, 8 - 23824 Dervio
ph: +39 348 5761532 - +39 347 9489232
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DERVIO
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23824 Dervio • Via Valvarrone, 17/B
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