Bene Lario
Bene Lario: the town in the province of Como
Hello everyone! Today I will talk about Bene Lario, a small town located in the province of Como in Lombardy, with 318 inhabitants and an area of 566 hectares, stretching between the left bank of the Civagno stream and the north-eastern slopes of Mount Galbiga.
Physical geography
Regarding its physical geography, Bene Lario is situated in Val Menaggio and is part of the Mountain Community of the Lario and Ceresio Valleys. The location is notable for its geology and paleontology, studied since the nineteenth century by the geologist Antonio Stoppani. The stratigraphic formations carved by the Civagno stream cover a period of almost thirty million years, and Mount Galbiga represents an important section of sediments deposited between the Jurassic and Triassic periods. In the Civagno valley, numerous fossil species of shells, corals, and fish have also been found.
Origin of the name
In ancient times, the area of Bene Lario was called "Maldino," which some have indicated as being of Ibero-Ligurian origin, composed of the combination of two words: "mal," meaning "mountain," and "duno," meaning "village."
History
Regarding its history, here are some curiosities: Annexes to the Statutes of Como from 1335 refer to the "comune loci de Benne" and "Bene montis Menaxij" to indicate the town, which, within the parish of Menaggio, had the duty of maintaining the section of the Regina Road between the "de Chollio" and "de la Polla" bridges. On June 1, 1647, the town of Bene was granted as a fief to Francesco Gallio, Duke of Alvito. Still, infeudated to D'Alvito in 1751, the town fell under the jurisdiction of a feudal podestà located near the so-called "criminal bank" of Gravedona.
Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the Municipal Archive was burnt down following some disagreements between the parish priest and the confraternity that gathered the most influential families in the town. With the reorganization of the Kingdom of Italy (1805-1814) wanted by Napoleon Bonaparte, Bene first saw the incorporation of the municipality of Grona (1809), then was itself aggregated to that of Grandola and Uniti (1812). However, after Napoleon's fall, both decisions were revoked with the return of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the consequent territorial compartmentalization of the Lombard-Venetian Kingdom.
From the early nineteenth century, a significant proportion of emigrants to South America, particularly Chile and Uruguay, was recorded among the residents of Bene. The maintenance of relations between emigrants and their native town allowed the realization of works such as the construction of a kindergarten.
In this way, Bene Lario has evolved up to today. Thanks to its history and extraordinary nature, the town represents a pleasant stop for those visiting the area. Walking through its streets, you can discover incredible views and the beauty of the surrounding area. If you are a lover of nature and history, Bene Lario is an unmissable stop during a visit to Lombardy.
