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It is said that on several occasions Pliny the Younger had woven the praises of that place of rare beauty. He particularly loved Lenno for the mild climate and because, from his Villa Commedia on the lake, he could fish overlooking one of the many windows overlooking the Gulf of Venus.

Today it is Skyscanner.it to include Lenno among the 20 small Italian gems.This village is bathed by the waters of Lake Como and is located along the so-called Costa della Tremezzina. It is set in a marvelous cove nicknamed the Gulf of Venus and shaded by the imposing Lavedo promontory. Of Roman origin, Lenno owes much to the work of the Greek colonists sent here by Julius Caesar. They were able to make the most of the land granted to them by introducing the cultivation of vines and olives. Even today one of the main products of the Lennese table is olive oil, classified as of excellent quality.

The appearance is elegant thanks to the many sumptuous villas that adorn the hills of Lenno on the reflections of the lake. On all we remember Villa Cassinella by Mantegazza and the beautiful Villa del Balbianello. This estate, founded in 1787 by Cardinal Durini, was subject to numerous changes of ownership and the last beneficiary, Guido Monzino, died in 1988, leaving it as inheritance to F.A.I. Italian Environment Fund.

In addition to the villas, other fine buildings stand out, such as the Abbey of Acquafredda. Reachable by a path surrounded by olive trees, it takes its name from a spring that flows in the immediate vicinity at the foot of Mount Ossino. Built in the 12th century, it has undergone some slight structural changes over time. Now it shows itself to a single nave with a pair of side chapels, adorned with a series of stuccos and some seventeenth-century paintings of Fiamminghino. The Abbey is set in a splendid position, with a beautiful panoramic view. The silence is broken only by the sound of the bells. The church preserves beautiful paintings both in oil and frescoes.

Proceeding towards Perlana Valley, another jewel of the first Romanesque that was once part of a larger architectural complex of which a few traces still remain. Let’s talk about the abbey of San Benedetto.

San Benedetto in Perlana Valley is a corner of the spirit. All around are only nature and silence. The simplicity of the architectural lines, the light that filters from the small, a few windows, give a sense of peace in which it is nice to dive even just for a short time. Other noteworthy buildings are the church of Santo Stefano and the adjacent Battistero di San Giovanni. Of early Middle Ages, it is internally richer and contains fourteenth-century frescoes from the Luinese school. Not far away, in the hamlet of Portezza, is the church of San Vincenzo, dated XI century.

A stay in Lenno cannot be considered complete without a walk along the lakefront, stopping in the numerous cafés and bistros and admiring the view that stretches from Punta Balbianello to the promontory of Bellagio.