Museo Torre di Maggiana

About the museum

The Torre di Maggiana, known as the “Barbarossa” tower, stands in the centre of the hamlet of Maggiana, in Mandello del Lario, and is one of the best-preserved towers in the Lecco area. It dates from the 12th century and once controlled the Strada Ducale della Riviera, today known to walkers as the Sentiero del Viandante, the 45-kilometre route from Lecco to Colico.

The name recalls the link with Frederick Barbarossa, who, during his military campaign against Milan, found refuge in the tower thanks to the intercession of the noble family then occupying the building; a stone plaque found on 5 May 1828 commemorates the episode. The tower has a square base, stands within a small fortified courtyard and retains its original pointed doorway and some loopholes; the terrace was added in the 19th century by Francesco Alippi, then the owner.

Today the tower belongs to the Comune di Mandello del Lario and is managed by the Associazione Gruppo Amici di Maggiana, which has set up the Museo di Arte Contadina in two rooms, with objects of rural work and peasant art from the late 19th and first half of the 20th century, and panels on the Giüdee procession of Good Friday. The museum, reopened in March 2024, is part of the Sistema museale della provincia di Lecco.

Highlights

• 12th-century tower linked to Frederick Barbarossa
• Museum of Peasant Art in two rooms
• Panels and period images of the Giüdee procession
• Panoramic terrace over the lake and mountains
• Location on the Sentiero del Viandante

Permanent exhibition

• Museo di Arte Contadina – Two rooms with farming tools and objects from rural work in Maggiana between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, plus documentation on the Giüdee procession.

Founded

1100

Operated by

Comune di Mandello del Lario (gestione: Gruppo Amici di Maggiana)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission by donation.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The tower is a medieval building with a terrace reached from inside; the website gives no information on arrangements for people with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

By car, drive up from Mandello towards the hamlet of Maggiana.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Toilets on the ground floor of the tower; bookshop at the entrance; bar-restaurant Osteria Sali e Tabacchi nearby.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit