Griante: Trails, Churches and Historic Villas

Griante combines trails through the town and its hinterland with churches and historic villas. If you’re looking for a hotel in Griante, these highlights can help structure your plans: the Greenway and Via dei Castelli offer different opportunities for walking; churches, works of art and residences provide insight into the area’s architectural and local history.

Trails in Griante and the Hinterland

The approximately 10-kilometer-long Greenway del lago di Como passes through Griante. The entire route can be walked in about three and a half hours; you can also walk it in sections. Alternatively, La Via dei Castelli is an easy walking route into the hinterland, passing various sites of ancient fortifications. The route takes about 40 minutes each way. There are free and paid parking spaces near the starting point. As duration and parking options may change, check the information locally.

A section of the historic Via Francigena Romana also runs through Griante. A hike from Griante leads to Sasso San Martino, which offers wide-ranging views across Lake Como. The area around Sasso was part of the Cadorna Line, an important defensive line during the First World War. Trenches, tunnels and armored positions bear witness to this history. The landscape and military history are two distinct aspects of the same area.

Churches and Architectural History

The Chiesa di San Martino stands on a natural terrace at an elevation of 475 meters and offers panoramic views of Lake Como and the mountains in the background. By the end of the 16th century, it already existed under the name San Martino al Monte. Around the mid-17th century, it received its present name and dedication. The former name and present dedication belong to different stages of its history.

The Chiesa dei Santi Nabore e Felice contains a fragment of a 14th-century fresco depicting the Adoration of the Magi at the Grotto of Bethlehem. Another work of art in the church is the altarpiece of the Assumption of Mary by Alessandro Maganza (1556–1632), a student of Titian. The fresco and altarpiece represent different subjects: a scene from the Christmas story and the Assumption of Mary.

The Chiesa Anglicana dell’Ascensione was the first Anglican church built on Italian territory. It features elements of 15th-century late Lombard Gothic architecture: a single-nave interior, large transverse arches, a rose window on the façade, small arches beneath the eaves and pinnacles above the supporting piers. These architectural features express the regional style in different forms.

Historic Villas

Villa Margherita in Cadenabbia di Griante was built in 1853 on commission from publisher Giulio Ricordi. Villa Collina in Griante stands on the ruins of an old medieval tower and is surrounded by a park.

Villa Maresi lies between Griante and Cadenabbia, in a park at the foot of Sasso di San Martino, and is privately owned. It was built between 1895 and 1905 on the ruins of an old manor house that belonged to a fortification complex. Its design is English Neo-Gothic. The villa thus combines a specific architectural style with the history of the older manor house and its fortifications.

Ferry Connections from Cadenabbia

Cadenabbia has one of the main ferry terminals connecting the center of Lake Como with Varenna and Bellagio. When planning a trip, check the current timetable, as routes and service patterns may change.

Discover more destinations: Sorico, Vercana, Osteno-claino, Ossuccio, Lasnigo, Arosio, Cassina Rizzardi, Locate Varesino

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