Church of Our Lady of the Moletto (Santuario della Vergine Annunciata detto Madonna del Moletto)
The church was built in 1606 by Roberto Rusca, a monk sent here as the deputy of the abbot of Saint Ambrose in Milan, to which Limonta belonged at the time. Its isolated position suited prayer and reflection, but also marked the border with the nearby village of Bellagio. It was a visible landmark for those arriving by lake, near the small dock that gives the place its name, “Madonna del Moletto.”
On the outside wall of the apse, a large 18th-century fresco shows the Lactation of Saint Bernard. It was painted to invite both travelers on foot and sailors to join in Marian devotion. The same scene appears in the parish church of Saints Ambrose and Bernard and recalls a miracle linked to the saint. Below the image, a round medallion shows the symbols of the abbey, a clear reminder of its monastic origin.
This first building forms the lower chapel of the present church. As the site became famous for reported miracles, Rusca decided in 1623 to enlarge it by adding a new church above, including the original one below. The lower chapel still preserves, above its altar, a painting of the Rest During the Flight into Egypt, the only artwork commissioned by Rusca. The vaulted ceiling has stucco frames and decorations made during the same enlargement.
The upper church has a simple gabled façade with a granite doorway, a broken pediment, and two small windows. On the right side, a marble plaque recalls the indulgence granted to the faithful by Cardinal Ildefonso Schuster, archbishop of Milan from 1929 to 1954.
Inside, the space is square with a raised presbytery. Through a small window with iron grating, visitors can look down into the lower chapel. The original decorations ordered by Rusca were later replaced by a rich cycle of frescoes on the Life of the Virgin, painted by Giovanni Paolo and Giovanni Battista Recchi, pupils of the artist known as Morazzone.
The frescoes cover the apse wall and the barrel vault with six lunettes. The scenes are not in order but arranged to reflect each other: the Presentation of Mary at the Temple faces the Presentation of Jesus, the Visitation faces the Adoration of the Magi, and the Nativity faces the Birth of John the Baptist. On the back wall, the Annunciation is framed by a marble border added in 1759 together with the altar. The Assumption decorates the presbytery ceiling, and the Coronation with Angels the nave vault.
Two large figures of Saint Benedict and Saint Bernard stand beside the altar, while Saint Ambrose of Victory appears on the large lunette above the entrance. This scene refers to the legend of the saint appearing at the Battle of Parabiago in 1339 to help the Milanese.
Throughout the church, small angels hold scrolls with texts explaining the meaning of each scene. A damaged inscription under the Adoration of the Magi suggests that the decoration was completed in 1649 by Paolo Recchi, who often worked with his brother Giovanni Battista in the Lake Como area.
The church was built in the early 17th century by the monk Roberto Rusca, vicar of the abbot of the Monastery of Saint Ambrose in Milan, of which Limonta was a fief. Its isolated location marked the border with Bellagio and encouraged prayer and meditation. The site was easily accessible from the lake thanks to a small pier — hence the sanctuary’s name, “Madonna del Moletto” (“Our Lady of the Little Pier”).
On the outer wall is a large fresco depicting the Virgin Mary and Saint Bernard. The image, visible even from the lake, invited devotion. Below it are religious symbols connected to the community that built the church.
The oldest part of the building corresponds to the lower chapel. Over time, the place became renowned for its miracles, leading to the construction of a second church above the first. In the lower chapel, a fresco depicting the Flight into Egypt still remains. The vault is adorned with simple stucco decorations and frames.
The upper church has a gable façade. Its stone portal, with a broken pediment, is flanked by two windows.
Inside, the floor plan is square. The presbytery is raised, and a grate allows a view of the chapel below. The original decorations have disappeared; the current paintings narrate episodes from the lives of Mary and Jesus. The scenes on the walls and vault are paired to show related moments: the Presentation of Mary and that of Jesus, the Visitation and the Adoration of the Magi, the Birth of Mary and that of John the Baptist.
On the back wall, the Annunciation is painted within a marble frame. The vault of the presbytery features the Assumption of Mary, while in the nave one can see her Coronation. At the sides of the altar stand Saint Benedict and Saint Bernard, while Saint Ambrose is depicted on the entrance wall.
Small inscriptions explain the meaning of the scenes. One of them bears the name of the Como painter Paolo Recchi, active in the Lake Como area, and the date 1649, which may mark the completion of the work.
