Isola Comacina

The lake's only island, steeped in history and legend

Isola Comacina, as fondoambiente.it, quicomo.it, giteinlombardia.it and siviaggia.it recall, is the only island on Lake Como. A small strip of land that holds an ancient and complex history, today at the heart of an archaeological and tourism enhancement project.

The destruction of 1169 and the excavations

The most dramatic chapter in its story dates back to 1169, when the island was destroyed by the people of Como allied with Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, as isola-comacina.it, rievocazionistoriche.cultura.gov.it and quicomo.it recount. According to quicomo.it, the island was never inhabited again after that episode.

Its history has been pieced together thanks to several archaeological campaigns: the first, according to isola-comacina.it and quicomo.it, were carried out by archaeologist Ugo Monneret de Villard in 1914, while later campaigns were led by Luigi Mario Belloni starting in 1958. It is to Belloni and Mariuccia Zecchinelli that the Antiquarium Museum is dedicated, according to isola-comacina.it, which would be housed – again according to this source – in the ancient complex of the Hospitalis de Stabio, dating back at least to the 12th century and officially recognised in 1496 by Pope Alexander VI.

The excavations have brought to light finds of great value: isola-comacina.it, fondoambiente.it and quicomo.it agree that the double-apsed baptistery with its mosaic floor dates from the early Christian era, and that beneath the floor of the Church of San Giovanni Battista lie the remains of a Roman marble colonnade. These same sources, together with giteinlombardia.it, consider the island one of the most important archaeological sites in northern Italy. Isola-comacina.it and fondoambiente.it also point to the base of a tower that likely served as the bell tower of the Basilica di Sant'Eufemia, whose remains, according to fondoambiente.it, date to the 11th century.

Before the destruction, according to isola-comacina.it and quicomo.it, the island was home to several religious buildings: the churches of S. Eufemia, S. Giovanni, S. Maria with the Portico, S. Pietro and the convent of SS. Faustino e Giovita. Only quicomo.it adds further details on this long religious history: the founding of an oratory dedicated to Sant'Eufemia by the Bishop of Como, Sant'Abbondio, around the mid-5th century; the six-month resistance of the Magister militum Francione against the sieges of the Lombards before capitulating in 585; and the founding of the Collegiata di S. Eufemia in 1031 by Bishop Litigerio. Quicomo.it also notes that, during the communal era, the island sided with Milan against Como.

Sources diverge on the reconstruction of the Church of San Giovanni Battista: isola-comacina.it claims the building was rebuilt with three naves between 1670 and 1675, a version contradicted by quicomo.it. Isola-comacina.it further states that the church's restoration was completed in 2008 as part of the "Magistri Comacini" project.

Today, as isola-comacina.it and siviaggia.it note, the Church of Sant'Eufemia lies in ruins, while the restored Church of San Giovanni remains in use for worship.

The Case degli Artisti and Lingeri's project

A more recent chapter concerns the so-called Case degli Artisti (Artists' Houses), whose original project, according to isola-comacina.it and quicomo.it, dates back to 1920, when the island was entrusted to the Accademia di Brera. Quicomo.it also recounts a peculiar episode from 1919: the island was reportedly bequeathed to King Albert I of Belgium, becoming for one year an enclave under Belgian sovereignty.

Four sources – isola-comacina.it, fondoambiente.it, quicomo.it and siviaggia.it – agree that the Case degli Artisti were designed by architect Pietro Lingeri in Rationalist style. As for the construction date, however, accounts differ: isola-comacina.it and fondoambiente.it point to 1940, while quicomo.it contradicts this dating. According to isola-comacina.it, the Houses were restored between 2009 and 2010.

The Feast of San Giovanni

One of the best-known events linked to the island is the Sagra di San Giovanni, which, according to rievocazionistoriche.cultura.gov.it, quicomo.it and giteinlombardia.it, takes place on the Saturday and Sunday closest to 24 June, with a re-enactment of the island's burning. The same three sources describe a fireworks display that recreates the fire and destruction of the island, while quicomo.it and giteinlombardia.it add that the lake is lit up by thousands of floating lanterns known as lumaghitt.

Only rievocazionistoriche.cultura.gov.it provides further details on the event: pedestrian attendance is said to reach around 30,000 people; according to tradition, in 1435 Saint John reportedly appeared in the guise of a pilgrim to a farmer on the island; on the Sunday, performers from the Palio del Baradello re-enact the battle with Barbarossa; and finally, a procession carries the relics of Saint John to the island aboard traditional Como boats called comballi and lucie.

How to reach the island and practical information

Isola-comacina.it, giteinlombardia.it and siviaggia.it agree that the island can only be reached by boat or ferry from Ossuccio or other locations on the lake. According to giteinlombardia.it, a visit takes around two hours.

Sources are not unanimous regarding opening periods and conditions. Isola-comacina.it states that the island is open from May to the end of October, a version contradicted by giteinlombardia.it. Similarly, isola-comacina.it and quicomo.it state that the island's restaurant, bar and restrooms are closed indefinitely, but giteinlombardia.it offers a different account. Only isola-comacina.it notes that an entrance ticket is required, with penalties for those who don't have one.

For those planning a trip from Como, siviaggia.it offers some practical logistics: by car, Ossuccio can be reached via the SS340 state road, covering about 25 km in roughly 40 minutes; by train, the nearest station is Como San Giovanni, from which C10 line buses bound for Menaggio take about an hour to reach Ossuccio. The same source notes that the Sentiero della Regina trail connects Como to Sorico, passing right through Ossuccio.