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SAN MARTINO

San Martino is a small church located on the slopes of Sasso di S.Martino above Griante at a height of 475 m. An easy mule-track leads to the church from where you have a lovely view of the central lake area.

- starting point: Griante 200m (3km from Menaggio)
- Menaggio - Griante by bus: line C10 Como
- time: (one way) 1.15 hrs.
- ascent: 275m
- some signs indicating S.Martino

Route
You get off the bus at the intersection for Griante (bus stop bivio per Griante) on the main road Menaggio – Como and turn right and follow the road in the direction of Griante. After about 100 m. you turn right and follow another road leading steeply uphill. After about 300 m you leave it and you follow the sign for San Martino to the right. An easy mule track leads up in wide bends to the little church
Along your way you will pass a series of little chapels decorated with mosaics representing various stages of Christ’s life. About half way you encounter the chapel Cappella degli Alpini, dedicated to S. Carlo. The S. Martino church was built in the XVI century to house the wooden statue of the 14th century representing the Madonna with Child. The legend tells that the statue was found in the 16th century by a shepherd girl in a cave in the mountains where it was put a century before by an inhabitant of Menaggio when the town was destroyed by the Grigioni. The statue was brought down to the parish church where it miraculously disappeared and was found again on the Sasso di S. Martino. This was interpreted as the desire of Maria to be venerated on the mountain. First a small shrine was built and then the church.