Sites of interest at Lonato del Garda

Manzoni mentioned the Pescarenico in his most famous work, The Betrothed, and thanks to the story this district has become famous

Land rich in tradition and history is part of the Mincio Park where the river expands to form the lakes that surround Mantua

A few kilometres away from Voghera near the Staffora stream, you come across the town of Rivanazzano Terme. The site is known as a well equipped spa town. Its bromide and iodide salt and sulphurous waters are popular for their high concentrations of elements which are indispensable for the healthy functioning of the body. Rivananzzano Terme's waters are especially suitable for respiratory, musculoskeletal and superficial vascular system cure, prevention and rehabilitation. They have also been found to be effective in curing rhinogenic deafness and skin conditions. Studies have been carried out on the beneficial effects of the waters on children in whom inhalation cures can prevent the respiratory conditions typical of the winter months.

In Vercurago, the places of Lucia and the Promessi Sposi

Abbazia di Sant’Alberto da Butrio, near Ponte Nizza, was founded by hermit saint Alberto of Butrio in the 11th century on the summit of a limestone outcrop and soon became a Benedictine closed order. A painting inside shows the miracle performed by the saint in the presence of the Pope and three cardinals with which he proved that he had not committed the sin of breaking his fast as accused. In the surrounding area, the historic Pieve church of San Ponzo has a surviving attractive medieval plan with a beautiful church. It is for this reason that Ponte Nizza is a religious tourism destination.

Montalto Pavese has a very fine sixteenth century castle, one of the best conserved in the region. The castle's beautiful furniture from a range of periods bears witness to the historical events it has witnessed and it is set into a beautiful scenario.   Photo: Gianni Santolin

The Castle is a splendid building dating from the seventeenth century, now considerably and tastefully rebuilt. Attacked by the Guelfs and the Ghibellines in various eras, it has changed hands repeatedly: from the Visconti to the Sforza, to the Strozzi, the Taverna and the Belcredi, and is now an attractive venue for public and private events.

Canneto Pavese is located at one of the most panoramic points in the area and split up into tiny villages dotted over the peaks of the small round hills between the left bank of the Versa stream and the ridge of the slopes over the right bank of the Scuropasso stream.

Brallo di Pregola is in the heart of the Apennines on the border between the provinces of Piacenza, Genoa and Alessandria and it is precisely for this reason that the area can be called the 'land of four provinces', a place in which different traditions, cultures and dialects meet. Standing in a panoramic position above the town, the church of Sant’Agata is now merely a ruined perimeter. This dependency of the monastery of San Colombano di Bobbio is definitely reported only in the ninth century, but the archaeological relics found here show that it has an even older history, which dates at least from the seventh century, the era of San Colombano and the Longobard kings.

The origins of the town are ancient and meld into Lombard history. Lombard tombs of four men who lived in the 7th century and were buried with their arms - a scramsax (a sort of long knife), swords, shields and spear were found in the village of Luzzano in 1961.    

    Let's continue to Porlezza, a popular tourist destination at the north-eastern end of the lake, which can be reached by taking the Strada Statale 340 Regina road to Argegno and then crossing the Val d'Intelvi.   An embarkation point for lake cruises in the summer months, out of season it offers a more relaxed and charming atmosphere. The parish church dedicated to San Vittore, one of the 57 mediaeval parish churches of the ancient archdiocese of Milan, is well worth a visit, while a few kilometres from its centre, in the direction of Menaggio, we find Lake Piano, a nature reserve and EU Site of Community Importance, which must not be missed. Easy to ride and suitable for everyone, the 13.5-kilometre Porlezza-Menaggio cycle path links Lake Ceresio with Lake Como.  (Ph: wikipedia.org)