Situated in a sunny position in the Albano Valley above the village of Dongo, Stazzona is a small village halfway up the hill along the road to the Passo San Jorio. The village has a unique view of the Dongo plain and the opposite bank of the Lario, where you can see the famous Abbey of Piona.
The name is said to derive from the Roman word “Statio”, namely a place where travellers could rest and change their horses along the road leading to the pass, frequented for trade between Lake Como and Switzerland. Stazzona is a village with a long rural tradition. Although farming activities have been abandoned for a few decades, the rural soul can still be felt in the alleyways that wind through the houses of its hamlets and in the reconstruction of the “Masun”, the typical rustic building of the Albano Valley with a straw roof that was once used as a stable and barn.
In the village of Vanzonico, in a remote and shady area with a lake view, we can find the famous “crotti.” These characteristic cellars were dug into the rock and have been transformed into cosy taverns where visitors can taste genuine traditional dishes.
Of great artistic importance is the Parish Church of San Giuliano, the oldest part of which dates back to the 15th century but was extensively altered in the 17th century. The interior preserves valuable frescoes by Fiammenghino, Recchi and Giulio Quaglio, two 16th century stained glass windows in colour and the organ donated by the locals from Stazzona who emigrated to Palermo between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.
