Mandello del Lario
Mandello del Lario: a Municipality with Two Separate Territories
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk to you about Mandello del Lario, a municipality located in the province of Lecco in Lombardy. Mandello del Lario, or simply Mandello until 1863, consists of two separate territories that are connected via the lake. This makes it quite unusual in Lombardy and in Northern Italy in general.
The Physical Geography of Mandello del Lario
The territory of Mandello del Lario extends from the eastern shore, and in small part from the western shore, of the Lecco branch of Lake Como. The altitude varies from 200 meters above sea level in the lake area, to 2409 meters of the northern Grigna. The main nucleus of the municipality is located on an alluvial plain, formed as a cone of dejection of the Meria stream. The train station is located at about 214 meters above sea level.
The Origins of the Name Mandello del Lario
The toponym Mandello has raised many conjectures over the years, but most likely derives from the Latin anthroponym "Amandus" or the corresponding feminine "Amanda". Recently, the name "Amandus" was found in a marble funerary stele found in the territory of Abbadia Lariana, once belonging to Mandello.
The History of Mandello del Lario
Findings on the territory of Mandello del Lario suggest the presence of Celts already towards the end of the 7th century BC. During the Roman era, Mandello would have represented a pagus inhabited by tribes of the gens Oufentinae.
The first written mentions regarding Mandello date back to the Lombard era, from which it was classified as a "royal court". In 603, Pope Gregory I gave the count of Angera all the royal courts of the Milan committee, including Mandello. In 769, Mandello was mentioned for the first time in the national topography.
During the feudal period, Mandello allied with Como during the Ten-Year War (1118-1127), but was ransacked and burned by the Milanese. In 1154, Frederick Barbarossa entrusted the control of Mandello and the tower of Maggiana to a local lord named Alcherio Bertola. Mandello became a free municipality in 1160 and found itself in contrast with Como over some administrative issues related to the functions of their respective consuls. The divergences were resolved in 1167 during a diplomatic meeting at the Comasco church of San Giacomo.
Conclusions
In summary, Mandello del Lario is a quite unusual municipality in Lombardy, consisting of two separate territories but connected via the lake. The territory is characterized by the altitude that varies from 200 meters above sea level in the lake area, to 2409 meters of the northern Grigna. The name Mandello most likely derives from the Latin anthroponym "Amandus". The history of Mandello del Lario is ancient and fascinating, with several events that have marked its evolution. If you find yourself in the area, I recommend visiting this beautiful municipality on Lake Como.
