The Abbey of San Donato

This is the finest monument of Sesto Calende. Today, the only remnant of the ancient abbey is the Church of San Donato, built between the 9th and 10th century, which is located near a nucleus of restored farmsteads and old homes.

Cyclists will have no trouble reaching it from the riverside road, if they follow directions for Lentate and Taino. Travellers coming from Angera can reach San Donato by leaving the provincial road SP69, toward the left, just after the village of Lisanza.

This locality, now simply called Abbazia or Badia, is remembered in documents from the 9th to 13th centuries as "Scozola". According to a very convincing reconstruction, this place was once the site of a cove - now filled in - which was the harbour of Sesto where the boats paid navigation duties.

In the vicinity, secondary roads and trails branch off and connect Sesto Calende to nearby Lake Comabbio (in the direction of Oneda): in the woods to the north, particularly in the vicinity of the small church of San Vincenzo, there are partially marked mountain bikes paths that allow travellers to have fun cycling towards Taino or Lentate.

The church of San Donato preserves valuable Romanesque art and, on the inside, precious frescoes dating back to various eras, from the 15th to the 19th century. There are also an ancient wooden crucifix and a crypt that preserves bas-reliefs.