Discover Dongo: Palazzo Manzi, Churches and the Albano Valley

Palazzo Manzi and the Churches of Dongo

Dongo combines impressive architectural history with a landscape shaped by the Albano Valley and the mountains. Those interested in Italian culture, sacred art and regional history will find several different points of interest here. If you would like to combine culture and landscape, in Dongo you can distinguish between Palazzo Manzi, the churches and the museum on the one hand, and the Albano Valley and the surrounding peaks on the other. In the wider area, a castle, museum, monastery and collection provide additional cultural destinations.

Palazzo Manzi was built in 1824 to a design by Pietro Gilardoni. The Sala d’Oro stands out for its extensive gilding, reliefs and stucco work. The ceiling features a fresco of Parnassus attributed to a pupil of Appiani.

The churches also span different periods. The Chiesa di Santo Stefano has Romanesque origins and was rebuilt in 1716. The Chiesa di Santa Maria Martinico was built in the 11th century and has a side façade dating from the 14th century. It also houses a gilded silver cross dated 1513, from the workshop of F. Ser Gregori.

Commemorative Culture and Sacred Art

The Museo della Fine della Guerra is located in Palazzo Manzi in Dongo. Using multimedia and interactive content, it presents the history of the resistance on Lake Como and the events that led to the end of the Second World War. The interactive tour extends across seven rooms on the ground floor of Palazzo Manzi.

The Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime was built between 1553 and 1603 next to the “Regina” road. At the Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime, the woodwork and frescoes in the presbytery meet the location beside the “Regina” road.

The Albano Valley and the Mountain Landscape

The Albano Valley runs alongside the lake and connects Italy with Switzerland via the Passo S. Jorio; Dongo lies at the foot of the valley.

The peaks of Costone del Bregagno, Monte Pizzone, Monte l’Usciolo and Monte La Nava are located around Dongo. The wider regional area around Dongo also includes Castello Sasso Corbaro, the Museo Moto Guzzi, the Bellinzona monastery and the Collezione Giancarlo e Danna Olgiati.

When choosing accommodation, you can align your priorities with these themes: Palazzo Manzi, the churches and museums support a cultural and historical stay, while the Albano Valley and the surrounding peaks strengthen the connection with the landscape. This allows you to consider a hotel in Dongo specifically according to your own travel interests, without combining the different excursion destinations into a single experience.

More Destinations

Sala Comacina, Appiano Gentile, Sorico, Sormano, Erbonne, Carimate, Torno, Albavilla

To the higher-level travel overview: Como.