San Giacomo Vecchia
Ancient cemetery church outside the village of Livo, among chestnut trees, featuring a Renaissance porch adorned with frescoes. Pathway leading to Crotto Dangri.
What to see
Nestled among splendid ancient chestnut trees, just outside the village of Livo, stands the Church of St. James "the Old," built between the 15th and 16th centuries and documented for the first time in 1297. What strikes you at first glance, aside from the beautiful view of the lake, is the refined pronaos, whose vaulted ceiling is adorned with frescoes depicting Stories of Genesis from the second half of the 16th century. When the church became a parish in 1446, the interior was expanded with a large single nave marked by pedimented arches, thus adhering to the architectural standards prevalent in the Alto Lario area. A particular feature of the building is that many of the frescoes were commissioned by the devotees of Livo, whose names can still be partially read at the base of some of them. In particular, the high number of representations of the Virgin is a significant manifestation of devotion from the people of Livo: 23 Madonnas with Child make up the largest cycle of frescoes in the entire area.
Getting there
By car with ample parking.