Description of the attraction
Spina Verde Park is located in the hills of Lombardy northwest of Lake Como. On its territory, natural resources are combined with historical and archaeological sites - here are the ruins of the prehistoric city of Como and the medieval castle of Baradello. There are also sacred places here - from ancient and Roman ritual temples to monasteries and churches, including the most beautiful basilicas of San Carpoporo and San Abbondio - all this speaks of the special significance of Spina Verde in religious culture.
The name of the park comes from the Spina Verde ridge, which stretches from the city of Como to the Italian-Swiss border. On its territory are the peaks of Sasso di Cavallasca, Monte Croce, Monte Caprino and Monte Baradello with the castle of the same name, which has become the symbol of Spina Verde.
The territory of the park is rich in water sources, which, according to folk legends, have healing properties. The northern slopes of the Spina Verde ridge are covered with deciduous forests with oaks, hornbeams, maples and lindens, while the southern slopes are covered with fluffy and rocky oaks, ash, hop-hornbeam and pines. The forests are inhabited by wolves, squirrels, dormouse, hares, foxes and stone martens.
The main man-made attraction of the park, as mentioned above, is the medieval castle of Baradello. The territory on which the castle stands has been fortified since time immemorial - probably one of the observation towers of the late Roman Empire was located here. In the 12th century, this was the site of the Como military base, which was later destroyed. The construction of the current castle began in 1158 - for centuries it remained at the center of the tumultuous historical events that took place in the region until it was once again destroyed in 1527. Only at the beginning of the 20th century was Baradello restored and became the symbol of the city of Como.
Other attractions of the Spina Verde park include the rock paintings in Roccione di Pianvalle and Roccione di Prestino, the “stone rooms” of Sasso della Strega and Sasso delle Cento Coppelle, the remains of a Bronze Age settlement Camera Grande, a kind of gallery near the Mohenica Springs spring, an antique horse-drawn carriage the road, the old quarries, the 19th century “Scala del Paradiso” staircase, consisting of 9 hundred steps, and the real border fence on the border with Switzerland.
