The small temple of San Fedelino
The Romanesque church of San Fedelino stands near the final stretch of theancient Strada Regina which, since Roman times, connected Milan with the regions beyond the Alps, through the Spluga, Settimo and Maloja passes, on the western shore of Lake Mezzola, in a place secluded and silent. To reach this architectural jewel you can take Via Regina starting from the fishing village of Dascio, or you can take the path that starts in Casenda (municipality of Samolaco); an alternative is the boat.
The origins of the building date back to the 10th century and its history is closely related to martyrdom of San Fedele, whose relics were miraculously found in 964 and were subsequently transported to Como.
At the time of the persecutions perpetrated by the emperors Maximian and Diocletian against the Christians, Fedele was a soldier Roman who converted to Christianity. Because of his refusal to perform sacrificial rites before an expedition, he was imprisoned along with six other companions. He managed toescape and hide at the northern end of Lake Como (then a single body with the Mezzola lake), but was caught by one of his persecutors , was here beheaded in 298. The place of martyrdom became the site of the foundation of the religious building.
After countless vicissitudes, which led the temple to be used as a fort by the Spaniards between 1624 and 1627, as shelter for livestock and, subsequently, as warehouse-kitchen for the stonecutters who quarried the granite of the same name nearby, restorations began to protect this architectural treasure.
Starting from the early 1900s, a series of recovery interventions began, which were possible thanks to the contributions of numerous benefactors . Subsequently, the property was sold to the Parish of Novate Mezzola, which still owns it.
Between 1992 and 1993 some renovation works were carried out in the surrounding area and today the church of S. Fedelino offers the visitor in all its beauty, in perfect condition harmony with the surrounding natural landscape.
The building has a square plan with a semicircular apse divided into three sectors by pilasters. The interior, which is accessed via two entrances located on the side, preserves in the semi-valley of the small apse a beautiful painting dating back to between the end of the beginning of the 11th century, depicting Christ Pantocrator flanked by two angels and, further down, the apostles arranged in a semicircle. Also noteworthy is the beautiful cross vault, considered among the oldest in the diocese of Como.
From this location it is possible to observe Lake Mezzola in all its beauty, with its green waters flown over by numerous migratory and resident birds and the wildest coast, the western one, where the flora expresses itself luxuriant with oak and chestnut woods and cliffs covered with Mediterranean essences.
