The beauty of Lake Como has presented inspiration to many celebrated personalities with worldwide recognition in the past centuries and still nowaday. Thanks to their achievements, have been made remarkable breaks in the field of architecture, technologies and medicine; masterpieces of literature, art and music have been created. Therefore it is very pleasant, making a walk on the water with a motorboat along this cost of lake to touch the different historical eras and to enjoy personally masterpieces of architecture, painting, sculpture and also to estimate rare beauty of botanical gardens present in Moltrasio. Moltrasio nowaday is home of various celebrities.
One of the most interesting places to visit on the western coast of Lake Como is the town Moltrasio.
Its known luxurious country homes, its magnificent gardens and fine climate will present you unforgettable impressions.
Moltrasio’s history traces the roots back in 2000 B.C. It is documented by finds of tombstones of Gauls. Production of Moltrasio stone is a world-famous characteristic of the town since antique times and it is successfully used also in present architectural constructions for walls and to cover the facades of the new villas in order to hide them in the landscape. In the past several homes and mansions all along lake Como have been built using Moltrasio stone.
Today the population doesn’t exceed 1600 inhabitants.
Walking along the streets of this wonderful town, it is worth visiting the churches of San Martino and Sant’Agata in the Central federal district of “Borgo”. The exact time of construction of the church isn’t known, but absolutely precisely it existed in 1207. Surprisingly beautiful are the impressive facade made of stone and the internal furniture: frescos, the altar and painting that were created by great masters.
The church of Sant Agata executed in Romance style in the district of “Vignola” is by all means worthy your attention. The road Regia in stone of the 11th century conducting to the church is special itself.
You can reach the church using “a sacred staircase”.
Inside it is possible to see a set of impressive frescos and outside on the wall it is possible to consider a Renaissance fresco.
In front of the hotel Posta and the ferry can also be visited the small building of the oratorio of San Rocco dated 15th century and restored during the Baroque period.
The building is surrounded with small figured windows and inside you will found the altar decorated with a stucco molding. The porch connects this small church to the Posta hotel marked on the cadastral maps in the 18th century.
Beside the square of the ferry station it is visible the small temple of the Hotel Imperialino.
On the hill are visible many decorated villas and among them it is necessary to mark out the antique Villa Passalaqua located in a beautiful park near the lake.
And the well-known Villa Erker Hochevar, became not less interesting after stay in it of the famous composer Vincenzo Bellini. At the beginning of the district of “Vergonzano” there is one more beautiful period home, Villa Fasola erected the end of the 19th century and having a big garden which is going down to the lake where there is a large boathouse.
A special attention is deserved by Villa Fontanelle, former residence of Gianni Versace and now owned by Arkady Novikov. It was built in the second half of the 18th century in neoclassical style with decorative gardens, majestic terraces, statues and fountains.
Having visited this historically saturated region where each detail of architecture peacefully coexists with the natural heritage, you will desire to come back in Moltrasio again and again.