Holiday apartment in Oggiono: Lake Annone and cultural heritage

Oggiono combines lakeside scenery and a moraine landscape with historic sites and evidence of the past. The town lies between Lake Annone and the moraine hills of Alta Brianza. The hilly area of Imberido extends as far as Lake Annone, while a moraine ridge near the old town centre separates the Oggiono plain from the lake. This creates a destination where landscape, local history and active days by the water can be combined.

Churches and traces from many centuries

The Battistero San Giovanni is an octagonal building from the 11th century. It stands on an early Christian complex with a square floor plan dating from the 6th century. Its foundations and cocciopesto floor are still visible. Fragments of 13th- and 14th-century frescoes have also been preserved in the apse of the Battistero San Giovanni. The surviving architectural elements and fresco fragments create a multifaceted historical picture.

The Chiesa Sant'Agata also tells of a long history of construction and use. It dates from the first quarter of the 18th century and has two rooms arranged one above the other. The upper choir was used by confraternities for a long time. During restoration, earlier frescoes depicting saints were uncovered; they may date from the 16th century. Its apse contains ivory-coloured stucco. In the Chiesa Santa Marzia, a niche contains an urn with the mortal remains of Saint Marzia; two reliquaries are located beside it.

Oggiono's sacred art also includes the Polittico dell’Assunta, which is kept in Oggiono's provost church. A votive inscription to the god Mercury, the patron god of trade and travellers, found in Oggiono suggests the route of the important ancient Roman road Via Ulteria e dei Laghi. Alongside the churches, such evidence also gives the town a historical connection to trade and travel in antiquity.

Castles, old paths and distinctive local features

Above Imberido, the Capitani had a castle built during the feudal period. Above Laguccio, the remains of a Castellazzo have been preserved; Villa Sironi stands there. At the eastern entrance to the Frazione Castello, the portal and defensive tower of the Castello dei Perachi have been preserved and integrated into later buildings. Also in the Frazione Castello, the remains of the medieval canalisation of the Torrente Daverio are visible, along with a well-preserved route.

Another historic feature is the chimney of the former silk-spinning mill belonging to the Donegana family. It is a monument to the period of modernisation. In Bagnolo e Lago there is an elaborately designed old washhouse from the 18th century, which was restored by the municipal administration. A striking natural feature is the Ippocastano di Oggiono beside the Chiesetta del Lazzaretto di Oggiono. The tree is approximately 30 metres high and has a trunk circumference of more than 4.5 metres.

Market tradition and the town museum

Piazza Manzoni has been Oggiono's permanent market square since 1820. That year, the market was moved there permanently. A recurring market tradition is the Fiera di Sant’Andrea. It takes place on the last Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays in October and dates back to a market charter granted in 1614. The market tradition thus complements the historic buildings with an insight into Oggiono's public life.

Oggiono has the guided MUD route, the Museo urbano diffuso. The tour of the decentralised town museum uses a microphone system. For days devoted to culture, this tour can be combined with the churches, the surviving elements of former fortifications and traces of economic development.

Exploring Lake Annone

The Ciclopedonale del Lago di Annone forms an approximately 14-kilometre circular route around the lake. It is an easy and accessible path for cyclists and pedestrians, allowing visitors to experience Lake Annone at close quarters. On the eastern shore, the route heads towards Oggiono through woods and past old villas set amid greenery. If you would like to combine exercise and scenery, this circular route offers a clearly defined option; its approximate length also helps with planning a suitable daily pace.

Oggiono as a base for planning your trip

Various interests are therefore documented for choosing your destination: you can view historic churches and works of art, discover market traditions, explore medieval traces in the local districts or experience Lake Annone on an easy circular route. Oggiono is connected by regional services, bus transport and rail links on the Como–Lecco route. Oggiono railway station is called Stazione di Oggiono. If you choose a holiday apartment in Oggiono, you can therefore set the focus of your stay between culture, the lake and active routes without reducing the different sides of the town to a single experience.

More places for planning your trip: Vendrogno, Perledo, Gisazio, Taceno, Dervio, Arlate, Vestreno, Barzio

For the overarching travel overview: Lecco.