Top of the World
Moltrasio is located on Lake Como and boasts a rich historical heritage with numerous churches and several villas surrounded by gardens and an area rich in natural beauty to be discovered through 4 themed trails (water, stone, history, panorama) that also touch on the characteristic crotti, built of moltrasina stone with a special technique that makes the environment ideal for storing demijohns of wine. Moltrasio lies on the western shore of Lake Como, the municipality stretches from the waters of the Lario to the slopes of Mount Bisbino, is composed of eleven hamlets: Borgo, Casarico, Carisciano, Creolino, Somaino, Luscesino, Vignola, Casarevolo, Roiano, Tosnacco, Vergonzano, and Vighinzano. The town has very ancient origins; copper artifacts from 2000 B.C. have been found; other findings testify to the presence in the area first of the Gauls 200 B.C. and later of the Romans. The heyday was around the year 1100 thanks to the mining of Pietra Moltrasina, a material used by the Comacini Masters for the construction of churches and basilicas. And it was in Moltrasio, in the elegant Villa Salterio Elker, that the composer Vincenzo Bellini composed the Straniera and part of the Sonnambula. Gianni Versace purchased Villa Fontanelle in 1977; it took three years of work to complete its renovation under the supervision of the famous fashion designer, who always remained fond of Moltrasio and Lake Como. Another magnificent mansion is Villa Passalacqua, built at the end of the 18th century by the Odescalchi family; in 1787 it was purchased by Count Andrea Lucini Passalacqua; prominent figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill stayed there.
Of particular interest are Moltrasio's churches: the parish church of San Martino frescoed by the Recchi brothers, the ancient church of Sant'Agata and the oratory of San Rocco. Every year in November there is a patron saint's festival dedicated to St. Martin with stalls selling local products and handicrafts; culinary delights from Lake Como, from alpine cheeses to missoltini, can be found.
