Brunate: Faro Voltiano, Hiking Trails and Art Nouveau Villas

Brunate Between Culture, Local History and Trails

Brunate brings together Faro Voltiano, the parish church of Sant’Andrea Apostolo, Art Nouveau villas and paths through wooded sections, creating a place with diverse cultural and scenic facets. This gives you several points of focus: distinctive buildings, religious traditions, historic promenades and hiking routes can be combined when planning your trip.

Distinctive Places and Local History

Faro Voltiano was built in 1927 in San Maurizio, Brunate, as a gift from the city of Como to commemorate its citizen Alessandro Volta, one hundred years after his death. The 29-metre-high, octagonal tower offers views over the valley below and serves as a distinctive reference point in Brunate’s history and townscape.

The Church of Sant’Andrea Apostolo has served as Brunate’s parish church since 1654. The religious tradition also includes the Festa di San Maurizio, which takes place on the Sunday closest to 22 September and includes a Mass and a procession to Monte Tre Croci.

On Brunate’s hill stand Art Nouveau villas built between the late 19th and early 20th centuries and decorated with floral and eclectic motifs. Another special feature is the Campari Fountain. In 1935, the artist Giuseppe Gronchi created it as a unique advertising installation for the Italian company Campari.

Above San Maurizio in Brunate lies the S. Rita da Cascia Sanctuary. It was dedicated to Saint Rita in memory of Alpine soldiers who fell in the war.

Getting There and Hiking Trails

The Como–Brunate funicular connects Como and Brunate; the journey takes seven minutes. The connection between the two places is therefore one of the clearly identifiable features of the local geography.

From Brunate, section SI D10S of the Sentiero Italia CAI reaches the hamlet of San Maurizio, where the Sentiero delle Colme begins. The same section of the Sentiero Italia CAI runs from Como to Piano del Tivano and is 19.9 kilometres long.

The Passeggiata delle baite follows a wooded mule track uphill from San Maurizio. The Via del Pissarottino complements these paths as a historic promenade for holidaymakers in Brunate.

The Lake Como Poetry Way runs from the Passo di Roggiana in Maslianico via Cernobbio and Como to Brunate. It ends at Faro Voltiano; on the Como–Brunate mule track, the route is associated with Alda Merini.

Another hiking route begins in Brunate, initially follows the road towards the Volta Lighthouse and then continues along woodland paths. Depending on your focus, you can thus consider shorter local paths, wooded climbs or the 19.9-kilometre section between Como and Piano del Tivano.

A Local Flavour

The local food culture also has its own connection to Brunate. At the second edition of the Sagra della cipolla di Brunate, dishes made with onions from Brunate could be sampled at five local restaurants.

More Places for Your Trip to Italy

Lezzeno, Villa Guardia, Magreglio, Dongo, Germasino, Olgiate Comasco, Cirimido, Argegno

For the higher-level travel overview: Como.