Statue of San Nicolò

Walking along the lakeside, near the monument to Antonio Stoppani at the mouth of the Gerenzone, it is impossible not to notice the statue of San Nicolò amidst the waters of Lake Como which, with its golden colour, reflects the sunlight. Saint Nicholas is the city’s patron saint and the protector of sailors and boatmen. 

The statue was donated by the people of Lecco to the beloved provost, Monsignor Giovanni Borsieri, for his 25 years’ service in the city and for the 55^th anniversary of his ordination as a priest. It has been on display in the lake since 1955.

Created by the famous Brianza sculptor Giuseppe Mozzanica, the statue is not only a religious symbol but also a tribute to the community and the traditions of Lecco. The inauguration was staged with a solemn ceremony in the presence of the local authorities and the mayor Luigi Colombo. 

According to tradition, three poor children were each given an apple by Saint Nicholas that turned into gold on the night of the 5th of December, saving the family from poverty. Based on this tale, every year on the 6^th of December, the city’s children go looking for the “apple of Saint Nicholas”, an apple decorated with the likeness of the Saint 

At the end of June, during the Festival of the Lake and the Mountain, the relics of the Saint, preserved in the Basilica dedicated to him, are carried in procession on the lake by gondolas and the large sailing vessels known as comballi, in an enthralling blessing of the waters. 

Nearby, inside the Basilica, the manna of Saint Nicholas is also preserved, the very pure liquid in which the Saint’s remains were floating when the sailors of Bari found his tomb.