Falling in Love with Lecco

Ask me what my favorite city in the USA is, and of course, I’ll say New York… ask me what my favorite town or city in Italy is, and I can’t even answer that question!

I have flirted with Venice, had a passionate weekend with Bologna, and had an intense affair with Milan, but I can’t deny that …

I have fallen in love with Lecco

Lecco, the city I live in. It has embraced me and makes me feel at home. The people, the narrow alleyways, and long panoramic bike lanes and trails looking out to the lake have captured my heart. When I first came to Lecco, while walking the side-streets along the Adda River, I had a distinct deja-vu feeling.  I had never been here before but I remember the sense of feeling at ease as if I knew the area. Little did I know at the time, I would find an apartment just down the street from where that feeling hit me.

The placid waters of Lake Como and the city of Lecco / Photo C. Abernethy

Lecco is famous not only for its beautiful location but also for one of the most famous works of Italian literature; Alessandro Manzoni’s romantic tragedy I Promessi Sposi known in English as The Bethrothed which tells the story of how two lovers, Renzo and Lucia, struggle to lead a life together, despite the efforts of Don Rodrigo, the evil lord who kidnaps Lucia. The story is fictional, but the locations described in the book are real. Manzoni was born in Lecco and although he left to live and study in Milan, it remained in his heart and imagination.

Pescarenico, the old fishing village of Lecco. / Photo C. Abernethy

Lecco is located at the foot of the San Tomaso, Grigna and Resegone mountains which are great for hiking and nature walks. A trail going up to Monte Barro starts just across the street from me. I go quite often, and it looks different every time.

Although I grew up near the ocean, I am not much of a water baby. I never got into sailing or windsurfing, but I do enjoy a summer boat ride on the lake. The lake offers windsurfers and sailors an open playground.

Sailing school. Scenes like this are not uncommon / Photo C. Abernethy

The town center has been preserved and protected from city traffic and is a designated pedestrian-only area. The main square, Piazza XX Settembre, is an open court of cafes, restaurants and boutiques. At Christmastime, it’s decorated with lights and colorful multimedia shows projected on the buildings. I feel blessed to be living in such a beautiful town.

People often ask me, “You’re from New York! How can you live in Lecco?”
My reply, “In New York, I couldn’t find an apartment with a view of Lake Como.”

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This article originally appeared on LakeComoStyle.com and has been republished with permission by the author.

This article originally appeared on easymilano.com and has been republished with permission by the author and publisher.