Esino Lario

A church which in 1979 became a military memorial (sacrario militare).

As in many hill and mountain zones, Esino has a Via Crucis (that is, a circuit of shrines that depict the Passion of Christ). Esino's Via Crucis was created by the Milanese sculptor Michele Vedani (1874-1969), who used to vacation in Esino. In the first shrine (Jesus in front of Pontius Pilate), you can see Christ facing his verdict with strength and bravery; his body looks powerful and majestic, while Pilate, sitting with an absent-minded expression, abdicates his own role as judge, referring to the papers on his knees for support. In the eleventh one (Jesus on the cross) you can see a weak and slim Christ, exhausted by pain and strain, while on the other side, a Roman centurion may be seen on his horse, with a strong and regal posture. One interesting fact about the sculptures of this Via Crucis is that they were made from low-quality bronze, so when Mussolini's government requested the sculptures' destruction so that the metal could be repurposed to military use, the local parson was able to successfully argue that since the sculptures were made from low-quality material, it wasn't worthwhile to reuse it.

This is the main church of Esino Lario, dedicated to San Victor and mentioned in a document as early as the 13th century. The wooden sacristy deserves a visit. The church also hosts two tapestries on religious subjects from the tapestry school of Esino Lario, which was active from 1936 to 1961 and won several gold medals at the Triennale di Milano.

The ruins of the Esino Lario tower are visible from the centre and you can pass close by on trail 22 C. It is one of the sighting towers used as the fortification system of the territory. The tower belongs to a private owner and it is in poor condition.

In a new building behind Villa Clotilde from 2016, with an area on the first floor of Villa Clotilde also. This local museum has a collection of archeology and paleontology. It preserves some of the rich archeological finds of the territory and it has a large collection of fossils of the Grigna mountains. The museum also presents a small demo-ethnology-anthropological collection. The archeological session will be further developed: a few pieces of the paleontological collection will be highlighted in a more contextualized installation and a floor of the museum will be devoted to the relationship between man and the mountain (the topic at the centre of the Ecomuseo delle Grigne) with the demo-ethnology-anthropological collection and the contemporary art collection. One section is dedicated to material culture with the farmer objects exposition. Added to this is a focus on the Tapestry School of Esino Lario. It was possibly Luigi Furiosi, a designer employed by the Carcano family, industrialists in the field of tin and aluminum, who imagined the synthetic and symbolic representation of Mandello in View of Mandello, maybe to celebrate an important anniversary of the Carcano company. At the foothills of the mountains, in the central part of the tapestry, we can spot the hydraulic factory of Sheets of Tin Foil of the Carcano family who started their business in Somana in 1895. The village of Mandello del Lario is recognizable thanks to some distinctive marks: the mountains which surround it as a natural background, the lake, but mainly the churches and typical buildings of the village. Everything seems to be plunged in the blue shades of the sky and this confers the work an enchanted atmosphere. The Grape Harvest surely is a significant work of art, both in terms of size (220x160cm) and artist, the famous Umberto Lilloni. The tapestry won the golden medal at the 9th Triennale di Milano in 1951. It represents five women and a young boy harvesting grapes. It is as if the artist had stopped time, leaving the characters in the middle of their movement: even if all the characters have a precise task, they are shown together as if they were light figures on the tapestry's surface. The artist describes with particular attention some details (such as the gestures, the grapes, the baskets) while leaving the atmosphere and the space behind the characters undefined, as if in a fairy tale: a wonderful frame from a cartoon.

The home of the Ecomuseo delle Grigne (the Ecomuseum of Grigne) and the Pietro Pensa Archive. The archive, whose oldest parchment dates to 16 May 1324, normally cannot be visited. Villa Clotilde also hosts some of the collections of the Museo delle Grigne: the collection of coleoptera of the Grigna mountains, the collection of Italian butterflies, and some stuffed animals. The most fascinating aspect of these collections is that they have been installed by the artist Roberto Paci Dalò in the sound installation titled Animagus; visitors are encouraged to browse the collections on the second floor with a small torch, immersed in a forest of sounds. There are some old grinders in the grounds.

Outdoor.

Outdoor. The structure is managed by the volunteers of the association Polisportiva.

Outdoor and indoor. The structure is managed by the volunteers of the association Polisportiva.

Outdoor and indoor. The structure is managed by the volunteers of the association Polisportiva.

Six different exercises (very easy, easy, middle-rande, middle-range/challenging, challenging and very challenging) which can be done with the use of a series of simple fitness tools distributed in an itinerary of 2 km (16 stops) in the woods of Ortanella.

Cainallo used to be a significant ski resort but since the 1990s the skiing is limited to one skylight, one taps round and three slopes: basically it is a good place for beginners and children to try skiing. The skiing is managed by the non profit organization Esino 2000 Onlus and its volunteers; it is possible to rent equipment.

The Moncodeno is a very well-known area for caving. There is frequent speleology research on the almost 500 caves of that area, which occupies less than 2 km². Researchers use Rifugio Bogani as a base camp.

In Esino there is a climbing wall outside the sport hall. The Grigna mountains present quite a few climbing routes all departing from Cainallo: Pilastro di Prada Via della libertà (6a, 5b, 130 m altimetric excursion), Pilastro di Prada Via CAI Vedano (5c, 4, 150 m altimetric excursion), Falesia dei Lares (6a/8a, 50 m altimetric excursion), Cainallo Animal House (6c+, 8b+, 40 m altimetric excursion), Grigna Settentrionale Sasso Cavallo / Parete sud Via Ludo Mentis (7b, 400 m altimetric excursion), Esino (5b/8b, 20 m altimetric excursion), Parete di Piancaformia (La Belle Epoque, 6c, 180 m; Libertà controllata, 170 m; Arma letale, 6b, 130 m), Cima di Sengg (6b, 300 m altimetric excursion; via Ginsengg), Sasso Cavallo ( Febbre da cavallo (6a/7b, 250 m altimetric excursion).

An winter outdoor sport which can be practiced in Cainallo and Ortanella. Every year an evening snowshoeing walk is organized in Cainallo by the local associations.

The territory is suitable for birdwatching. Birds of prey (rapaci): buzzard (poiana), kestrel (gheppio), hawk (sparviero) and black kite (nibbio bruno); woodpeckers and sparrows.

Since 2014 Esino Lario has organised a mountain running contest called sky race (March)

The starting point of many excursions in the Grigna mountains. You can park your car at Vo' di Moncodeno for €2 per day (buy the parking cards in Esino Lario).

An excursion from Vo' di Moncodeno and reachable in 45 minutes. The walk is pretty steep but it is manageable by children (from 4-5 years old and it will take 1½-2 hours). The mountain shelter Baitello dell'Amicizia (1740) is just below the peak and there is a cross there (Monte Croce means mountain cross, 1780 m); there is a great view of Lake Como from both the cross and the shelter. The "Festa del Monte Croce" (the annual celebration of the mountain, the construction of the shelter and the Alpini) takes place on the first Sunday of July.

6.5 km (4 miles) trekking itinerary going along the ways that have been walked for centuries to reach Esino Lario from Varenna.

A walking itinerary within Esino Lario to see the most notable villas built between 1920 and 1970.

7 km (4.5 miles) trekking itinerary through woods and meadows of Esino up to the viewpoint of Sasso di San Defendente.

There are no toilets; Villa Clotilde which is in the same garden has toilets (accessible during its opening hours, essentially in week-ends in the morning) and there is the bar restaurant 58 near-by.

There are no toilets but the bars and restaurants Oasi and Montanina are near-by.

There are no toilets but the bar restaurant Rifugio Cainallo is near-by and there is quite a lot of green space around.

There are no toilets but the bar restaurant Cacciatori is near-by and there is quite a lot of green space around.

A week of sports for children who can test and try a wide variety of different sports (volleyball, soccer, archery, handball, judo, karate, badminton, hockey on the grass, climbing, basket, baseball, athletics). The camp is for 5-12 years-old children and it is organized in two rounds.

A week of activities for children organized by the Northern Grigna Regional Park. It includes visits, excursions and laboratories and every day focuses on a specific topic (flora with the identification of plants and the production of small herbarium, fauna with the identification of animal traces, the work of speleologists, the production of milk and cheese...). Since 2014 they organize 2 weeks: 1 week devoted to younger children (5-10) and 1 week for older children (which includes also a sleep-over in a pasture).

The local Kindergarten is managed by a non profit association and – according to the availability of places – it is possible to enroll children between 18 months (they need to be able to walk) up to 5 years-old for the summer activities in July; also non residents can access to the service. During July the Kindergarten has a light program of activities and it is basically a game room; it also provides lunch.

As in many Italian towns, there are summer activities organized by the oratory (managed by the parish and involving volunteers). Essentially children of primary school (6-11 years old) do their summer homework and they are engaged in some games and team games.