Discover Casatenovo: Churches, Frescoes and Villas

Casatenovo is a good choice for you if you would like to discover Italian culture through specific churches, frescoes, villas and a culturally themed walking route. The range extends from a stately chapel dating from before 1062, through 15th-century artworks and 17th-century churches, to villa architecture. This gives you a selection for planning your trip that can be organized according to your interest in art, the occasion for your visit and your individual walking pace.

Churches with Different Historical Layers

The Chiesa di Santa Giustina was built by the Casati family before 1062 as their stately chapel. The church preserves wall and vault frescoes in the Cappella Laicale, including a Madonna in trono con Bambino, meaning a Madonna enthroned with Child. The sacred architecture and surviving artworks each provide their own focus for your cultural exploration.

The Chiesa di San Rocco was built at the beginning of the 17th century. In the garden beside the church stands a cross erected in 2006 in memory of the plague that afflicted Casatenovo from 1629 to 1633. The building and memorial thus lead to different historical periods. For practical orientation, you should also bear in mind that the Chiesa di San Rocco is somewhat difficult to access.

The Chiesa di Santa Margherita was rebuilt in 1462. Its frescoes date from 1463, although their attribution remains uncertain to this day. The paintings, restored in 1986, belong to Late Gothic Lombard art. The combination of dated frescoes, later restoration and open attribution makes the church particularly interesting if you would like to consider art in terms of its history of creation and preservation.

The Chiesa di San Gaetano di Rogoredo dates from the 17th century and has a simple, elegant Baroque-style façade. Villa Lattuada provides a different architectural accent: its symmetrical façades are defined by columns, porticos and large round-arched windows. This broadens the view from sacred buildings to Baroque forms and villa architecture.

Walking Route and Individual Walks

For walks, the “A Casatenovo tra ricchi e poveri” route offers clear orientation: it starts and ends in Casatenovo. In Parco Valle Lambro, it is one of the shorter culturally themed routes.

The interactive map of Casatenovo helps you put together individual walks to churches, aristocratic villas, farmhouses and courtyards. This allows you to arrange cultural destinations according to your own interests and connect different local landscapes. The map takes several types of destinations into account and leaves room for a walk planned individually.

Villas and Events

Villa Greppi di Bussero is used as a venue for events, weddings and cultural activities. The villa is accessible during the events held there. If an event is the reason for your trip, the specific event is therefore an important factor in planning. In addition, the Festa di San Rocco in Casatenovo includes an evening rosary and a solemn Mass in the morning.

More Destinations

If you would like to extend your travel planning to other places, you can find Pescate, Vendrogno, Carenno, Garbagnate Monastero, Calco, Molteno, Piantedo and Dervio here.

For the overarching travel overview: Lecco.