Remembrance itineraries
The remembrance itineraries are two routes that recall facts, places and characters of the Mandello Resistance in the period from 8 September 1943 (date of announcement of the Armistice) to 25 April 1945 (Liberation Day); the itineraries recall the journey of the "Cacciatori delle Grigne" brigade, which later became "89a Poletti", towards the liberation from Nazi-fascism.Illustrated in a guide, the two paths are marked with directional arrows that point to the places where you will find plaques in Italian and English.For those coming from outside Mandello del Lario, it is advisable to park in the square in front of the Moto Guzzi Museum and start right from the entrance of the historic factory, which played a key role also in the last days of April 1945.
Itinerary 1
Duration: approximately one hourPleasant walk on urban route (marked in red on the guide), suitable for families.- External wall of the cemetery of Mandello: place of the shooting of Giovanni Poletti on August 25th 1944
- Interior of the cemetery of Mandello: monument to the partisans of Mandello
- Via Dante Alighieri, former schools of Molina: headquarters of the German Wehrmacht Command
- Via A. Moro, "La Maiola": monument in memory of the fallen on 26 October 1944
- Via E. Parodi: Moto Guzzi
- Piazza L. Da Vinci - Via A. Manzoni (internal courtyard of the Municipality): plaque in memory of the I.M.I. of Mandello
Itinerary 2
Duration: approximately one hourEasy route, from the center of Molina to the hamlets of Rongio and Somana, on roads and mule tracks, with uphill sections. Trainers or boots highly recommended- Mule track towards Rongio, "Neri": plaque commemorating the death of Giuseppe Poletti on August 25, 1944
- Rongio: starting point of the paths for Gardata, Era, the Elisa Refuge, etc. (headquarters of partisan groups); place of the arrest of the partisans Giuseppe and Giovanni Poletti on August 25, 1944
- Sonvico, route towards Era: connection between Somana and the partisan command of Hera
- Somana, Piazza Mons. Gaddi: place of passage of the partisans and the relays, but also of the Nazi-fascists directed to Hera during the raids of autumn 1944
- Interior of the Somana cemetery: monument by the sculptor G. Enrini in memory of the partisans Adamo and Davide Gaddi, Giuseppe and Giovanni Polettii
From the hamlets of Somana and Rongio you can connect to other routes on the Grigna Mountains, which arrive the headquarters of the brigade (Era and Gardata), the refuges (Brioschi, Rosalba, Bietti-Buzzi) as well as the routes made by the partisans and; The itineraries and historical facts are described in the guide "Partigiani sulle Grigne, nuovi itinerari della memoria". One of the 40 plaques placed along the 12 routes on the Grigna Mountains from Lecco to Bellano and Valsassina.History on the Lake shore
Thanks to the itineraries organized by the Municipal Archives of Local Heritage it is possible to discover the history of the ancient village of Mandello by the lake. These are 4 easy and short routes, walkable on paved or dirt roads, also suitable for families and elderly people. The routes are briefly described in the plaque located in Piazza Giovanni XXIII, exactly in front of the Church of San Lorenzo. The guide contains more details and beautiful images.The current Lake area was once divided into two separated areas: the castrum (castle) and the village, both surrounded by a moat, fed by the water of the lake: the castrum was a fortified military complex in which inhabitants and their animals could temporarily take refuge in case of enemy attack. The village was located on the outside of the castrum and was divided into districts and protected by walls and doors.
Itinerary 1 – The towers of the castrum
The first itinerary takes visitors to discover the towers and the castleItinerary 2 – The defense system
The second itinerary, also interesting thanks to the amazing landscape, allows us to understand how the ancient village was structured and defendedItinerary 3 – The ancient village
The third itinerary shows us the industrious life of the village when, in past centuries, the goods arrived via the lakeItinerary 4 – From the village to the Meria river
The fourth itinerary leads to the area now occupied by the new port and the public gardens; the area between the village and the Meria river was once uninhabited and represented a real border area that absorbed the floods of the river whenever its waters dragged towards the lake large boulders, debris and sand, which represented a serious danger for the inhabitants.
Itinerary Guzzi
Four itineraries for Moto Guzzi fans!There are four Guzzi itineraries: the first two can also be covered on foot; the third can be covered on foot or by motorbike (depending on the time available!); the fourth and last itinerary, with its variants, specifically requires a bike ... a Guzzi of course!Along these routes, which are illustrated in detail in the Guzzi itineraries guide (also available in English), the places, facts and many anecdotes and lesser-known aspects of the Guzzi world involve visitors in an unforgettable atmosphere. In total, there are about 30 sites.
1st Itinerary: Carlo Guzzi
Urban itinerary consisting of six walking sites, lasting 30-45 minutes, which allows you to discover the places where Carlo Guzzi lived and designed his bike, in addition to those where he is now remembered.2nd Itinerary: The Factory
Itinerary consisting of six sites that partially runs inside the historic Moto Guzzi headquarters and along the old factory; this itinerary allows you to discover the development of the factory from 1921 to 1950.The route lasts 90-120 minutes and includes a visit to the museum (in the guide 10 significant models of the Guzzi world are described).3rd Itinerary: Moto Guzzi and Mandello
Itinerary consisting of eighteen sites, lasting 90-120 minutes (preferably by motorbike), that is the continuation of the first two routes described above.The route takes up the contents of the book "Guzzi, the idea that changed Mandello" and allows us to discover how the factory has modified the territory according to a model of enlightened entrepreneurship.4th Itinerary: A special trip (3 variants)
The main variant is an itinerary to be traveled by motorcycle along the roads that were once traveled by the testers and runs between the lake and Valsassina. The route allows you to enjoy a unique landscape: the amazing view of the lake, the woods, the valley and the Grigna mountains.The other two variants, to be explored partly on foot, lead to the discovery of two unknown sites: these are the hydroelectric power stations built by Moto Guzzi and, for rock climbers, the routes on the Grigna mountains created by climbers and above all by the pioneer climbers of the Guzzi family.Walking along the canal
Under construction!"Walking along the canal" is an educational / tourist itinerary still under construction: this ambitious project of the Municipal Archives of Local Heritage of Mandello del Lario is a real outdoor museum with working hydraulic wheels. Currently there are some plaques in the initial part of the route, at the Molina wash house in Piazza IV Novembre, along the pedestrian road from Via Dante to Via C. Battisti and in Via Cavour.When it is finished it will be a pleasant walk that, starting from a wooded and interesting area from a geological / naturalistic point of view, near the beginning of the canal, will run along the river up to the lake, and allow the visitor to discover the history, technology, daily life and the many activities that have marked the path of this artificial canal, the "Roggia Valmeria", over the centuries. A path studded with mills, tanneries, fulling mills, wash houses, spinning frames and silk twisting machines and where many hydraulic wheels worked incessantly, as they were indispensable for producing the energy necessary for the activities just mentioned.This itinerary lasts about two hours, is easily accessible and is also suitable for families. For the first stretch we recommend sneakers.
Le vie di Mandello del Lario ci ricordano
Walking freely around Mandello del Lario, you can find plaques of the Municipal Archives of Local Heritage which explain the history behind place names and famous people from Mandello (religious, entrepreneurs and nobles families) and tell important historical facts.
