If tiny villages with less than 600 residents are your passion, Sala Comacina should be in your visiting list, and certainly not only for its size. Sala Comacina is located in one of the most beautiful areas of Lake Como, in the incredible scenery of the Isola Comacina, close to an inlet called “the oil hollow” for the view of the olive trees on the surrounding hills and the calmness of the water. Apparently, up until a few decades ago, Sala Comacina was one part of a single municipal district with Ossuccio and Colonno. Still today, the old part of the village lies between the church of San Bartolomeo and the lake: the steep little streets that connects the buildings with their characteristic stone gates lead down to the promontory called “La Puncia”. It is worth the effort, and the prize is the view of Villa Beccaria, the 18th century abode of the Beccaria Bonesana marquis, that over the years has hosted many personalities of the Italian culture such as Cesare Beccaria, the author of the famous treatise “On Crimes and Punishments” (1764).
Departing from the promontory is the so called “green way of Lario” – a 10-kilometer pathway which crosses the towns of Colonno, Sala Comacina, Ossuccio, Lenno, Mezzegra, Tremezzo and Griante. It is absolutely worth three hours of your time, offering the opportunity to discover the many souls of Lake Como: the historic hamlets, the varied lake landscapes, the historic buildings and villas, the gorgeous gardens.
A special note about Villa Beccaria in Sala Comacina.
The three-story villa is located on a large half-round terrace facing the lake. The park is on two main levels: Mediterranean scrub on the upper level, with little bay tree woods, basswoods and ancient olive trees; around the villa a typical lake greenery, with cedar trees and magnolias. The villa has an antique dock dating back to the XVII century.