Lombardy is an ancient land, steeped in history and full of charm: its welcoming and generous lands have been home to many different peoples and cultures: the Etruscans and the Umbrians until 400 BC, followed by the Gauls, Romans, Barbarians and Lombards, and then again, in more recent centuries, the French and Spanish.   Their culture, traditions, customs and myths survive in the legends, the tales and the rural, architectural and religious works that tell us today about the lives and secrets of times past. Of course, the stories lose their detail over time, leaving gaps which are filled by mysteries. Here are 5 destinations for an unusual visit to Lombardy. In Rezzato (province of Brescia), for example, in the wood surrounding an ancient Franciscan monastery, hides a strange, centuries-old curiosity: it is said to represent the face of the devil...    Face to face with the devil, at San Pietro in Colle In Brescian dialect they call it “Diaol” or “Mostasù”, meaning 'ugly face', and it is not easy to find. And it's even harder to understand. As you step deep into the wood on the hill where the Franciscan monastery of San Pietro in Colle (11th C) stands in Rezzato, you come to the Rasa path that leads from the building and takes you among the ancient trees, until you reach the large rock between the path and the slope. Look carefully, and carved into the rock you will see a disturbing bas-relief: "the face of the devil", a face that is half-human, half-beast, the guardian of this ancient spot. Numerous legends surround the face, some going back to the mysterious date (1798) engraved in the stone, relating to a man's death, and others saying that it is the very face of a demon and that witches' Sabbaths were held in the sacred wood. Between the faun and the satyr, Mostasù, more prosaically, resembles the Green Man, the Celtic guardian spirit of the woods, also known as Pan, the ancient god of fauna and fertility.   How many ribs does a dragon have?The Santuario della Madonna di Sombreno in Paladina (1443) and the Romanesque Basilica of San Giorgio in Lemine, Almenno San Salvatore (1171), both in the province of Bergamo, share an extraordinary curiosity. From the roofs of these two ancient buildings, since the beginning of time, the ribs of a dragon have hung! Legend has it that these ancient relics belonged to the ferocious dragon that lived near the Brembo, later slayed by Saint George. A symbol of the victory of good over evil, the mythical dragon's ribs are, in fact,... those of a whale. A cetacean even older than the dragon, dating back 5 million years, to the Pliocene Epoch, when Lombardy was submerged in what is now the Adriatic Sea.     Erratic blocks and rock tombs of the Lario Triangle In the areas of Torno and Blevio in the heart of the Lario Triangle (province of Como), two impressive blocks of rock, the mushroom-shaped Pietra Pendula and the Pietra Nairola, a large flat table jutting out of the mountain, attract the curious tourists. As the legend goes, the devil liked to play ball on the Pietra Nairola and the protruding, balancing part of the rock is the work of the Madonna.  In fact, they are erratic blocks, large isolated masses of rock, transported from glaciers during the Quaternary Period. Some are natural monuments, recognised by the Region of Lombardy in 1984. In Torno, you will also find mysterious bathtub-shaped rock tombs (5th-6th Cent. AD) dug into erratic blocks: the tombs of Maas, Rasina, Piazz, Negrenza…

Paesaggi e storia nel lecchese

Highest point  2420 mTotal elevation gain 880 mTotal elevation loss 1450 mTotal climb 7,5 kmTotal descent 12,7 kmTotal distance 20,2 kmDuration 5 - 6 hCycling rate (%) 90% The route runs almost completely on a single trail and, most of all, it is the first stretch of a much longer itinerary, which - once com-pleted - will give the bikers the possibility to start from Switzerland, cycle  all  over  Valtellina  along  the  slopes  of  the  Rhaetian  Alps    at  height and finally arrive to lake Como. The starting point is in Val Saiento, which runs sideways to Valposchiavo in Canton Grisons. you climb up to Col D’Anzana, which marks the line between Italy and  Switzerland,  and  which  can  be  reached  also  from  bianzone,  in  the  Province  of  Sondrio,  through  the  road  going  uphill  to  ne-mina and becoming then a trail that leads to the pass. The start-ing crossway runs along the military track of Sentiero Italia up to Prato  Valentino  and  affords  remarkable  views  southwards  over  Scorcio verso le Orobie dalle Baite Agnè in Val Rogna.   42Mountain Bikethe mountain chains of the Orobic Alps and of Middle Valtellina. We leave Passo di Meden on our right together with the spurs go-ing down from Monte Combolo and Monte Calighe and reach the ski runs in Teglio from above. The second part of the ride runs deep into the solitary Val Fontana at first and then goes downhill.The start is from the car park in Pescia bassa on a dirt road at 1810 meters above sea level. you go past the Rifugio Anzana (2050 m) and take the well traced trail on your left heading for the pass, but which you can only partly cycle on. From Col D’Anzana (2233 m) you  go  downhill  some  meters  and  find  a  notice  board  with  map  and indications as well as the sign of the Way n. 301. The trail go-ing  around  Monte  Cancano  begins  on  the  right,  then  it  passes  below Passo di Meden (2440 m), reaches Prato Valentino ski runs, and  gets  steeper  below  Dosso  lau  (2020  m)  up  to  Verdomana  (1521  m).  Otherwise  you  can  choose  to  descend  from  Prato  Val-entino  to  Teglio  on  a  road.  but  from  Verdomana  you  turn  to  the  right on a dirt road (sign Way n. 302) through Val Rogna and get to Dalico (1465 m), which is situated on the Costa di San Gaetano along a trail among the woods. We cut across the road climbing from  the  valley  and  –  always  westwards  –  we  turn  into  the  long  sideway on a trail going north and descending to Sant’Antonio in Val Fontana (1253 m), where we take the road leading to the vil-lage of Ponte in Valtellina.

Stately homes, religious buildings, fortifications and UNESCO treasures among the beauties of Varese and its surroundings

This trips starts from Como, heading to San Fermo della Batogia following towards Covallasca, a small village by the mountainside of Monte Sasso.   From this point you take SP 17 in direction for Olgiate Comasco, hometown of Alessandro Volta, where are Volta Palace and Villa Camilla.From Olgiate you take SS 342 Varesina for abouf 20 Km, arriving in the industrious town of Cantù. Here you can stop to haye a visit and to partake a meal, thanks to the excellent restaurants and eating houses.After this rest, you can go on with this tour reach the last village that you can visit driving through: Montorfano. Place to visit: Como: city known to world-wide level for the wonderful panorama on the lago. To visit the Dome absolutely. Saint Fermo of Battaglia: it takes just the name from the war event of 1859 when the hunters of the Alps of G. Garibaldi they rejected the Austrians. Cavallasca: Mount Pebble, famous for the trenches. Olgiate Comasco: embedded like one pearl between morainic hills to goal road between Como and Varese. Very famous Villa Camilla, constructed in 1846, that he accommodates the library communal. Cantù: was borned like village fortified in top to the Saint hill Paul. Most important the monumental com plex of Galliano, than it comprises the Basilica of Saint Vincenzo and the Baptistry of Saint Giovanni Batiste. Montorfano: small village dipped in the green to the leet of the Orphaned mount. Romanesque church of Saint Giovanni Batiste laughed them to XI/XII century.

On the shores of Lake Como, where its pastel houses are reflected on the water, is known for its UNESCO heritage: the Sacro Monte

Pigra, at the heart of Valle d’Intelvi, is a small artistic village at an altitude of 881 metres, which can boast one of the most stunning panoramic views over Lake Como.   A peaceful, silent location, suspended over the lake, where it offers unique views of the area’s most iconic scenery, from Mount San Primo to the villages in the central lake area, including Bellagio and Varenna, to Isola Comacina, the Grigne massif, and the mountains Monte Legnone and Pizzo dei Tre Signori,   Pigra sits on the western shore of Lake Como, where it is a crossroads for the hiking routes that set out from or arrive in the village, skirting the Comasche Prealps and the lake. Popular culture associates the village and its cobbled streets with the symbol of the cat. In fact, cats are an integral part of the landscape, featuring in the colourful frescos that decorate the building façades all year round. The pride of Pigra, though, is its vantage point, which can be visited all year round. There are specific routes, either by car or using the historic cablecar - the steepest in Italy - with two 12-seater cars that take visitors from the lake to the mountain viewing point and back again, all while offering fantastic views.  The departure point for Pigra, whether on foot or with the cablecar is Argegno, a picturesque, rustic village overlooking the lake front, and crossed by a stream (the Telo), which divides it into two parts, linked by a mediaeval bridge. From here it is possible to take the boat to Bellagio, visit the characteristic village of Ossuccio, or explore Villa del Balbianello, one of the most famous villas on Lake Como, and well known for its lush gardens overlooking the lake.   

A walk on the wild trails between Lecco and Bellagio

A quiet village on a hill overlooking the western shore of the lake, right in front of Monte Isola, Vigolo offers a variety of panoramic mountain and lake views. A natural environment still untouched, its silence and refined air are what make Vigolo a place to visit and stay, in the name of authenticity and tradition. SIGHTSEEING ATTRACTIONSVigolo, thanks to its enviable position, offers, above all, a large number of attractions from a naturalistic point of view. However, it is in this context that it is possible to admire some architectural works of particular importance. First and foremost, the Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, patron saint of Vigolo: with paintings by A. Cifrondi (17th century), frescos by U. Mirigliani and T. Poloni as well as the black marble altar of the Bottega dei Manni in Rovio; the choir is the work of Ceretti. The church dedicated to San Rocco is particularly beautiful and of historical importance. It was built after the plague of 1630 in thanksgiving for escaping the threat of the epidemic. The church was recently restored and has a precious altar dedicated to Saint Anthony. On the outskirts of the village, there is the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Loreto, also known as Madonna del Dosso, in reference to the hill on which it was built in 1834. And last but not least, the little church on Colle del Giogo, privately owned and recently restored after a period of neglect, is also worth a visit. Adjoining there is a small house, former residence of prelates, which is now used for agricultural purposes. HOW TO GET THERE By bus - Vigolo is serviced by the Bergamo Trasporti company. Rout C40a - timetable on: www.bergamotrasporti.it

Chiesa in Valmalenco, Val Rosera, sterrata lungo il torrente Mallero, Sabbionaccio, Sevenedo Inferiore, Chiareggio, Alpe dell’Oro - ritorno a Chiesa in Valmalenco

Valmalenco