Corenno Plinio: Medieval Village on Lake Como

A castle surrounded by walls, a frescoed church in a cobbled square, narrow and well-kept alleys: this is Corenno Plinio, a small medieval village in the municipality of Dervio. Corenno is definitely a must-see village on the eastern side of Lake Como. Not only do we think it today, but the roman lawyer and magistrate Plinio il Giovane had already intuited it in much more ancient times. Plinio was so fascinated by the village that he regularly visited it and, according to what is said, he even bought a villa "placed on a cliff overlooking the lake". To honor him it was decided, back in 1863, to add the name "Plinio" to the already existing toponym "Corenno". Plinio il Giovane was certainly right. In fact, Corenno Plinio retains a completely intact retro charm.

We suggest parking just outside Piazza della Chiesa and explore the village to discover what it hides in every corner. Its main attraction is a well-preserved castle surrounded by graceful walls with merlons. Indeed, you can start your journey back in time in Corenno with a walk along the perimeter of its castle and its two towers that have been standing there since the 14th century, one watching over to the south and the other to the north. It is a typical castle-enclosure built by the Andreanis, the feudal family of the place. It did not serve as a residential building, but had to house the inhabitants of the village and their livestock inside the walls in case of danger. Close to the castle you can visit the church dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury with its eighteenth-century bell tower (fun fact. Raise your eyes and take a look at the bell tower clock, you will find a small mistake: the Roman number which should indicate XI o'clock was written as IX). The church was built at the end of the 12th century and it was first used as a private chapel of the feudal family, then became an actual church in 1327 and was finally transformed into an independent parish in 1566 by the archbishop of Milan, Carlo Borromeo. The ancient and original aspect of the church has been erased by the many renovations it has undergone over the years. However, it still retains some interesting frescoes dating back between the 14th and 16th centuries. Among the protagonists of these representations there are San Cristoforo and San Francesco, Santa Apollonia and San Gottardo, the Bishop and the Apostles and the Madonna del Latte.

From the square to the lake it's just a short walk. Just take the "scalotte", that are the steep and narrow stairways carved into the rock and surrounded by stone houses. These ancient buildings are well-kept and some of them are decorated with nice paintings.

When you reach the lakeshore, where the pier houses some boats, you can fully perceive all the genuineness that characterizes Corenno Plinio: in the town there aren't any bars, shops or ice cream parlors and there is no noise except that of the quiet voices of the visitors and the waves gently touching the shore. In some corners you can glimpse at small handcrafted works and graceful reproductions, probably made by one of the residents who, wandering through the silent Corenno, you cannot see. If you walk along the walls that enter the lake, you can enjoy a spectacular view of mountains reflected in the deep lake waters and see the edge of the town of Dervio a little further south. It is precisely in this spot of the Lario that, as the aforementioned Plinio il Giovane recounts, a couple of Roman citizens decided to put an end to their lives, tying themselves together and throwing themselves off a rock.

The visitors' journey through time comes to an end and while they climb the steep steps with shortness of breath, Corenno bids farewell to its guests certain that many of them, fascinated by its tiny splendour, will return to visit it.​

USEFUL INFORMATION: Corenno Plinio is a medieval village on Lake Como that can be easily reached by car via the SP 72 or by train, getting off at the Dervio station and venturing along the well-signposted sentiero del Viandante for about half an hour. The access to the village of Corenno Plinio is subject to the payment of a fee to be paid at the ticket office located in the church square or via the online ticket office. Thanks to a recent initiative to enhance the town, it is possible to discover the history of Corenno through the experience of augmented reality: just click on your smartphone to have access to all the most interesting information on "the village with a thousand steps".