An out-of-town excursion: the painted villages of Lombardy between Lecce and Como

A little journey to discover the surprising open-air works of art scattered throughout the jewel-like villages of the Lecco and Como areas.

Various museums created by the talent of students from the best academies, architectural walls that have been enlivened with stunning frescoes by famous Italian artists: our region boasts an unexpected open-air artistic heritage thanks to the array of works that constitute the multicoloured mosaic of Lombardy's villages, which sparkle with life and colour.
This unusual heritage stands out from the usual tourist circuits and the hustle and bustle of metropolitan streets - and, as part of a wider national phenomenon, made up of as many as 200 painted villages scattered throughout every corner of the Italian Boot - it provides a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an out-of-town excursion to help us "reconnect with the world". If it is true that, as art historian Flavio Caroli says in his Guide to the Painted Villages of Lombardy, "lesser Italy is often the best Italy from which to start again".
Confident that we are doing you a favour, we have chosen to guide you by the hand through the painted villages of Lombardy that are located in the provinces of Como and Lecco, and which are particularly worthy of a stop and an in-depth look. If you love art and little stories, if you find walks in the open air invigorating, if you are curious about people and traditions - this short, colourful, and lively itinerary is bound to delight you.

(Ph: touringmagazine.it)

Parlasco (LC) — A small village in the province of Lecco, also known as the Pearl of Valsassina because of its generous views over the valley and mountains, given its proximity to Milan, Parlasco makes the perfect inaugural stop on our tour.

Taceno (LC) — Let's continue to the Painted Village of Taceno, which lies at the foot of Mount Croce di Muggio and Mount Cimone di Margno in Valsassina, where, along the entire length of Via Vittorio Emanuele, a series of works of art depicting the old trades and businesses of the village can be found on the walls. They were created with the intention of handing down the roots, history and traditions of the village to future generations, given that many of these trades have now died out.

Caglio (CO) — For our third stop, we move to the Como area where, high up in the shadow of Monte Palanzone, we find Caglio, one of the most interesting villages in the Larian Triangle.

Cadorago (CO) — Our tour of Lombardy's painted villages concludes with Cadorago, a village located on the railway line to Milan, home to Murarte 90, a cultural initiative that has, since the 1990s, led to the permanent display of around 300 works of art on the walls of the village (and its hamlets of Caslino and Bulgorello), transforming the streets into Italy's largest open-air art gallery.

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