Giornate FAI Autunno 2021

Open Goods

Torre del Soccorso detta del Barbarossa

Hours

• Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Notes for the visit
Comfortable shoes are recommended. To reach the Tower, it takes 25 minutes uphill on a steep path. Recommended parking coordinates: https://goo.gl/maps/Csp3VT9EMRkho5Yw6

The Torre del Soccorso is located in the territory of Ossuccio (Municipality of Tremezzina) in the locality "alla torre" in the hamlet of Spurano on the border with the territory of Sala Comacina.

The building dominates the panorama of the lake since its construction, which took place between the twelfth and thirteenth century, as part of a larger fortified system, which included the castle of Isola Comacina and the defensive structures of Sala, Lezzeno and Cavagnola. In the twelfth century the inhabitants of Como, rivals of the island at that time allies of the city of Milan, struck several times and made useless the fortifications of this area. The Soccorso Tower knew for the next eight centuries a period of deep decadence and abandonment, ended only in 1954 by the initiative of Clemente Bernasconi, former director of the Superintendence of Monuments of Lombardy. Having purchased the entire structure, the architect promoted a campaign of archaeological excavations and undertook to restore the tower with the idea of bringing it back to life as the summer residence of his family. In 2011, thanks to a testamentary legacy, his daughter Rita wanted to leave the tower to FAI.

The complex, located on a rocky spur facing the lake, consists of two distinct buildings: the tower itself and an annexed building for residential use, surrounded by a curtain wall. The tower has a quadrangular base developed on four floors for a total height of about 15 meters and is composed of a massive masonry of stone blocks of Moltrasio. The building next to the tower has instead an irregular trapezoidal structure with a curvilinear profile on the west side and it develops on two floors only.

Book your visit

Villa del Balbianello - Tremezzina

Entrance to the Park by online reservation for everyone. Villa interiors reserved for FAI members and bookable on site according to availability.

• Saturday: 10:00 - 18:00
  Notes: Last visit inside the Villa 16.30. Last park entrance 17.00.
• Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00
  Notes: Last visit inside the Villa 16.30. Last entrance to the park at 17.00

Accesses: Via Terra da Lenno. Path of 1 km with an uphill section that can be covered in 25 minutes. Parking Mercato, in Via degli Artigiani, near Lido di Lenno. Or Via Diaz (in front of and above the Cemetery). It is possible to access the Villa via Lake, by Taxiboat, with departure from Lido di Lenno. (SERVICE TO BE PAID FOR) http://www.taxiboat.net/home.php Possibility to access also by lake with private boat services.

Visits in foreign language: English

Book your tour

All visitors will be able to support FAI with a free donation - worth a minimum of €3 - and will also be able to sign up to FAI online or in the various squares throughout Italy during the event. The online donation will allow, to those who want, to book their visit, thus ensuring the entry into the open places since, to respect the safety of all, places will be limited.