Photos: Giuliettom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Łukasz Pojezierski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 MOs810, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Giuliettom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Łukasz Pojezierski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 MOs810, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Basilica di Sant'Abbondio, Como's quieter church
Your local guide
Giorgio Fontana
View profile
Highlights
- Twin towers, rare for the style
- Consecrated by a pope, in 1095
- Frescoes surviving centuries
- A church away from the crowds
- Como's quieter Romanesque side
About this tour
This session covers Basilica di Sant'Abbondio, a Romanesque church away from Como's busier centre. You see its unusual twin bell towers and hear about its consecration in 1095, then move inside to a plain stone nave holding fragments of centuries-old frescoes. It is a quieter session on a building most visitors to the lake never reach.
We start with a sound check outside, since the street nearby stays quiet most of the day. I move inside for the second stop, filming at a respectful distance since services can be underway, and take your questions about the church's history as we go. A short reading list follows by message afterwards.
It suits anyone with an interest in Romanesque architecture or early medieval history. It also works well as a calmer addition after a busier session in the centre.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Como before heading out.
-
Sant'Abbondio exterior 15 min
The camera takes in the basilica's twin bell towers, unusual for a Romanesque church, and I explain how the building was consecrated in 1095 in the presence of Pope Urban II.
-
Sant'Abbondio interior nave 15 min
Inside, the camera moves down the plain stone nave, and I point out fragments of fourteenth-century frescoes that survive above the altar.
-
Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Como: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Risotto ai filetti di pesce persico and Borgo Vico, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Rome time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Como, showing you Sant'Abbondio exterior and Sant'Abbondio interior nave live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Como live with my phone.
Times shown in Rome time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
From 19,00 €
See dates