That branch of Lake Como: a day in Lecco with Manzoni, between history, nature and good food

A branch of the lake set between two mountain ranges, full of inlets and bays that at a certain point, between a promontory and a broad stretch of shore, narrows into a river whose banks are joined by an old bridge. A little further on, the river widens out again, becoming once more a lake overlooked by two adjoining mountains, one of which is marked by a row of rounded peaks, like the teeth of a saw. This was the view that, in the years when the eighteenth century was drawing to a close, a boy of precocious poetic talent observed every day from the windows of the rustic villa where he lived with his family in the Caleotto district of Lecco.

Some years later that landscape found its way into what was to become the greatest Italian novel of all time, "The Betrothed" (I Promessi Sposi), written by Alessandro Manzoni, who never ceased to consider those places among the most beautiful in the world. During our trip to Lecco, a city whose name probably comes from "Lech" or "Loch", meaning lake, a term spread by the Gauls and Celts who came here for trade, we partly follow in the great writer's footsteps by visiting several Manzonian sites.

Besides the villa at Caleotto, today home to the Civic Manzoni Museum, the literary itinerary also includes the fourteenth-century castle of the Unnamed (Innominato), now a ruin, the supposed house of Lucia Mondella and the shrine of the Bravi, the place where the Bravi relayed Don Rodrigo's message to Don Abbondio: "This marriage shall not take place, neither tomorrow nor ever." The Manzoni itinerary also takes in various stops on the lake, which can be visited thanks to a themed boat route. Besides immersing us in the atmosphere of the novel, every corner of Lecco holds some curious surprise capable of carrying us back in time. The Azzone Visconti bridge, known as the Ponte Vecchio and also mentioned by Manzoni, is one of these places.

Built between 1336 and 1338, it was originally a veritable fortress, defended by two towers fitted with drawbridges, a small keep and a dovecote for carrier pigeons. In place of these feathered messengers, today on the lakeshore we can admire a large troop of wild ducks, curious about passers-by, and also a few splendid swans, friendly with people, a little less so with the mischievous little dogs that come too close to them. Just as the old bridge links times gone by with our own, we also discover that certain emotions, even negative ones, never fade: in the very central Piazza XX Settembre stands the Palazzo delle Paure (Palace of Fears), built during the period of the Cisalpine Republic. Inside there was no prison or anything of the sort to earn it such an unsettling name; it was instead the feared offices of the Finance Authority, where the inhabitants went to pay their taxes.

And if, to pay them, or for other matters, a miracle was sometimes needed, the people of Lecco could ask for one by praying in the many beautiful religious buildings, the most important of which is the minor Roman prepositural basilica of San Nicolò. Dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, also immortalised by an evocative statue amid the waters of the lake near the mouth of the Gerenzone stream, the basilica dates from the thirteenth century and was probably built on earlier remains of the city's fortifications. Its neo-Gothic bell tower, erected between 1902 and 1904, is the symbol of Lecco. From the basilica, having left the car outside the pedestrian area, we make our way into the historic centre along Via don Antonio Mascari, named after the priest who in 1848 urged rebellion from the pulpit.

On this street we also admire the church of Santa Marta, among the oldest places of worship in the city. Built in the thirteenth century and renovated a few years ago, the church houses rich Baroque decorations inside. After this fine tour through Lecco's history we can only choose a historic establishment for dinner too: Ristorante Pizzeria Santa Lucia, also on Via don Antonio Mascari, in a building whose origins are lost in the mists of time but whose age is also attested by the evocative wooden ceiling beams that were probably already centuries old in Manzoni's day. "Within these walls there were once stables, while the restaurant itself dates back at least sixty years and has always been called Santa Lucia.

We took it over five years ago and we carry on a typically Mediterranean culinary tradition based on meat and fish, as well as on a special pizza called "pizza giovane"," Mr Franco, the owner, tells us. As we begin to enjoy the starters, our journey back in time continues thanks also to a series of vintage photographs on the walls, showing lakeside views and scenes of the daily life of the fishermen and inhabitants of Lecco. Images that form the ideal backdrop for the tasty bruschetta, for the mixed cold cuts with fried polenta and fried dough (gnocco fritto), not to mention the warm mixed-fish starter. Next, some of our group opt for the "pizze giovani" made in the wood-fired oven: tasty and also particularly light, digestible and tolerable even for those who struggle with a classic pizza.

Not only that: PizzaGiovane, prepared according to a patented recipe that this restaurant has exclusive rights to in Lecco, contains simple, natural ingredients rich in antioxidants that help counter free radicals and therefore ageing. "This pizza is based on a special flour called Integralbianco, which combines the benefits of wholegrain with the lightness of white flour. It also contains wheat germ and golden flaxseed flour, obtained by cold-pressing the seeds, which are rich in omega 3 and can help keep the skin young, healthy and radiant. To make it, we use heritage grains that have not undergone genetic modification, as well as olive extracts and red grape skins with antioxidant power," Mr Franco explains. Our coeliac friend is happy too: there are even gluten-free pizzas.

But we can't resist the delicious first courses made with fresh pasta either, including gnocchi filled with speck and brie or tagliatelle with wild boar ragù. The risotto with taleggio and radicchio Treviso also goes down well. Then we enjoy generous mixed grilled and fried fish, while our "carnivore" friends choose exquisite fillets and tagliata. Our Manzoni itinerary now reaches its most tempting stop: when the owner of a bakery mentioned by the writer in "The Betrothed" gave him some puff pastries as a token of gratitude, Manzoni replied that the gesture gratified both his palate and his vanity. At this point it is clear that, to follow in the footsteps of the novelist famously fond of sweets, we have to taste the delicious homemade desserts, including tiramisù, panna cotta, crème brûlée and an exquisite chocolate soufflé.

During the short, healthy walk back to our car among the lights of the atmospheric historic centre, we joke that Manzoni would surely agree with us too: a trip this lovely and this tempting has to be repeated as soon as possible.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante Pizzeria Santa Lucia Via don Antonio Mascari, 33 Lecco (LC) Tel.: 0341/365036