AQST “Magistri Comacini”

This agreement, promoted by the Region Lombardia for the cultural enhancement of the Como Lake area and in particular the “Magistri Comacini” one, was signed in 2005 by the Cariplo Foundation, the Region Lombardia, the Province of Como, which is the main responsible entity helped by the contribute of the Polytechnic University of Milan, and by the following institutions: the Mountain Community Intelvese Lario, the Union of Municipalities of Tremezzo , the Municipality of Bellagio, the Municipality of Cernobbio , the Municipality of Laino, the Ossuccio Municipalty, the Tremezzo Municipality, the Parish of St. Euphemia of Isola (an hamlet of Ossuccio), the Parish of SS. Nazario and Celso Intelvi of Scaria, Villa Vigoni Association, the Villa Carlotta entity, the Comacina Island Foundation, the Italian National Trust, the Center for Magistri Comacini Studies, the University of Insubria, the Como Diocese, the ecclesiastical entity of the Holy Mount and the cultural association called APPACUVI.

The AQST “Magistri Comacini” is one of the first experimental model of a cultural district in which the cultural heritage has the possibility to become the focus point for the development of an area and therefore, it strives for integrating those subjects that works for the cultural heritage enhancement, by creating networked systems that give the legitimacy, strength and the right perspective to the individual projects, that promote the sharing of knowledge, and that spread correct intervention activities on the general heritage, by investing on participation and social events.

The territorial heritage promoted by the AQST, offered two areas which both present problems that compared, they seems antithetic problems: the “Centro” Lake, a coastal strip that is famous and internationally known, and the Intelvi Valley, a mountain area that constitute the background landscape which is visible from the Island, and that was a well-attended holiday destination in the past, with a grate attractively thank to its artistic heritage of a special quality. The complementarity of the two areas, in terms of cultural, environmental, and touristic peculiarities, does not exclude large areas containing a mixture of archaeological, historical-artistic or nature tours.