Basilica of San Nicolò

The Basilica of San Nicolò, Saint Nicholas, overlooks Piazza Cermenati near the lakeside of Lecco and is an unmissable part of any visit to the city. Written on the main façade are the words “Divo Nicolao Leuci patrono – A San Nicolò, patrono di Lecco” (To Saint Nicholas, Patron Saint of Lecco, in Latin and Italian): a dedication to the patron saint of sailors, fishermen and traders. This bond is deeply rooted in history and the social fabric of the local community. 

The Basilica of San Nicolò was erected on the remains of the still visible ancient walls that ringed the fortified village of Lecco. The first written documents that mention the church date from 1252. In the 12^th century, the church was much smaller than the current building, which has two aisles and a higher central nave where painted wooden panels are displayed.

Due to its exposed position near the walls, the people of Lecco called on Francesco Sforza in 1449 to order urgent restoration works. At the end of the 16^th century, the Basilica underwent several modifications and the magnificent baptismal font dates from that period. After the walls were demolished, the city of Lecco began to expand from 1782 and a larger church was soon needed. This project was assigned to the architect Giuseppe Bovara: the works continued for many years, starting from 1828/1830. The large coffered vault that can still be seen today was created in 1848 and the façade was completed to Bovara’s design in 1866.

In the twentieth century, the Basilica underwent improvements and restoration works to preserve its integrity and beauty under the supervision of the architect Bruno Bianchi; in particular, the altar was modified in accordance with the dictates of the Second Vatican Council. Works of consolidation and restoration of the frescos and stuccos were carried out in the nineteen nineties, returning the Basilica to its ancient splendour. 

The current structure, in the neoclassical style, dates from the enlargement conducted by the architect Giuseppe Bovara. Inside, the atmosphere is charged with history: the nave and the two aisles house fascinating seventeenth-century furnishings by the Fantoni of Rovetta, a baptismal font dating from 1596, Romanesque parts from the 11^th century and a chapel decorated with stories of Saint Anthony in the style of Giotto (end of the 14^th century). 

It is also possible to visit the adjacent bell tower, the Campanile di San Nicolò, from where a spectacular view of the city of Lecco, its mountains and Lake Como can be enjoyed.