Limonta: House of the Wolf
In the village center, in the Castello area, stands this ancient building, probably founded in the 16th century, though it has been heavily modified over time.
The oldest elements are the main doorway and several stone-framed windows.
According to tradition, the house is linked to Lupo, the falconer of Count del Balzo, one of the characters in the novel Marco Visconti, written in 1834 by the Bellano-born writer Tommaso Grossi.
The work belongs to the historical novel genre, which reached its highest expression in The Betrothed (I promessi sposi) by Alessandro Manzoni, a close friend of Grossi, to whom the novel is dedicated.
Part of the story is set in Limonta, described as “a small hamlet almost hidden among the chestnut trees, visible to those who, leaving the tip of Bellagio to sail toward Lecco, look for it halfway up the slope.”
Against the backdrop of real historical events — focused on the deeds of Marco Visconti, brother of Gian Galeazzo, Duke of Milan in the 14th century — unfolds the fictional tale of Count del Balzo, lord of Limonta, and the tragic love story of his daughter Bice.
In the center of Limonta, in the Castello area, stands this ancient house, probably built in the 16th century but restored several times over the centuries.
The main doorway and some stone-framed windows are the oldest parts of the building.
According to local tradition, the house once belonged to Lupo, the falconer of Count del Balzo, a character from the historical novel Marco Visconti, written by Tommaso Grossi in 1834.
The novel is also set in Limonta, which is described as “a little hamlet almost hidden among the chestnut trees, to the eyes of one who, having left the tip of Bellagio to sail toward Lecco, looks for it halfway up the slope…”
The story blends fictional elements with historical figures, including the protagonist himself, who was the brother of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan.
