Ossuccio description and photos - Italy: Lake Como (Topic)

Ossuccio description and photos - Italy: Lake Como. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Ossuccio.

Photo and description

Ossuccio is a picturesque resort town located on the western shore of Lake Como, 20 km north-east of the city of Como. According to the last census (2004), only about a thousand people lived there.

Ossuccio gained worldwide fame in 2003, when the Sacred Mountain (Sacro Monte), located on its territory, was included in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage sites along with other eight sacred sites of the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont. The religious complex of Sacro Monte di Ossuccio is located on a cliff 200 meters above Lake Como. Surrounded by olive groves and forests, it stands apart from all other buildings. Fourteen Baroque chapels, erected between 1635 and 1710, are connected by a path, which leads to the top of the cliff to the temple of La Beata Vergine del Soccorso, built in 1532.

In addition, Ossuccio is worth visiting the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Maddalena, famous for its Gothic bell tower, the chapel of San Giacomo from the 11th to 12th centuries with an ancient cycle of frescoes, the Villa del Balbiano from the end of the 16th century and the more modern Villa Leoni, built in the middle of the 20th century.

The municipality of Ossuccio also includes the small island of Comacina, about a kilometer long and half a kilometer wide. The island lies on the western shore of Lake Como in front of the Zoca de l'oli bay. In the 6th century, Comacina was a Roman stronghold on the lake, while other local areas were under the control of the Lombards. In 1919, the island was presented to the Belgian king Albert I as a sign of respect, however, a year later he returned to Italy. Today Komachina is open to tourists who can visit the ruins of an ancient baptistery and the foundations of an old church. Also on the island there is one of the most famous restaurants on Lake Como - La locanda dell'Isola Comacina, whose excellent menu, according to the owners, has not changed since 1948!

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Topic: Ossuccio description and photos - Italy: Lake Como.