Dongo
Encyclopedia
Dongo is a comune
in the Province of Como
in the Italian
region Lombardy
. It lies on the northwestern shore of Lake Como
between Gravedona
and Musso
at the mouth of the Albano
. It is 70 kilometres (43 mi) north of Milan
and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Como
.
It was in Dongo, on 27 April 1945, that Benito Mussolini
and other powerful fascists were captured by Urbano Lazzaro
and other partisans
as they were attempting to escape across the Swiss
border.
Dongo borders the following municipalities: Colico
, Consiglio di Rumo
, Garzeno
, Germasino
, Musso, Pianello del Lario
, Stazzona
.
, the Bishop of Como, acquired the building from the Cossoni family.
In 1983 the Town of Dongo purchased the building. The citizens of Dongo, assisted financially by the Comunità Montana Alto Lario Occidentale, initiated the complete restoration of the Palazzo shortly thereafter.
Still bearing its original name, the building currently houses the Civic Institute of Music "Alto Lario," and, since December 2003, the International Piano Academy Lake Como
.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the Province of Como
Province of Como
The Province of Como is a province in the north of the Lombardy region of Italy and borders the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Grigioni to the North, the Italian provinces of Sondrio and Lecco to the East, the Province of Milan to the south and the Province of Varese to the West...
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
. It lies on the northwestern shore of Lake Como
Lake Como
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...
between Gravedona
Gravedona
Gravedona ed Uniti is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northeast of Como....
and Musso
Musso (CO)
Musso is a small town in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy. It lies on the western shore of the northern branch of Lake Como about northeast of the city of Como...
at the mouth of the Albano
Albano (stream)
The Albano is a stream of Lombardy, Italy which flows through the province of Como. It rises from the Bocchetta di Sommafiume, in the commune of Germasino and runs eastwards through the Albano valley ententering Lake Como at Dongo...
. It is 70 kilometres (43 mi) north of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
.
It was in Dongo, on 27 April 1945, that Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
and other powerful fascists were captured by Urbano Lazzaro
Urbano Lazzaro
Urbano Lazzaro was an Italian resistance fighter who played an important role in capturing Benito Mussolini near the end of World War II....
and other partisans
Italian resistance movement
The Italian resistance is the umbrella term for the various partisan forces formed by pro-Allied Italians during World War II...
as they were attempting to escape across the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
border.
Dongo borders the following municipalities: Colico
Colico
Colico is a comune in the province of Lecco, Lombardy, Italy. It is situated near the tip of the northern arm of Lake Como, where the river Adda enters the lake...
, Consiglio di Rumo
Consiglio di Rumo
Consiglio di Rumo was a former municipality in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northeast of Como, on the border with Switzerland. On May 16, 2011, it was annexed by Gravedona, following an act of fusion passed by Lombardy Region.When it...
, Garzeno
Garzeno
Garzeno is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northeast of Como...
, Germasino
Germasino
Germasino was a former municipality in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northeast of Como, on the border with Switzerland. On May 16, 2011, it was annexed by Gravedona, following an act of fusion passed by Lombardy Region.When it was...
, Musso, Pianello del Lario
Pianello del Lario
Pianello del Lario is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 70 km north of Milan and about 35 km northeast of Como...
, Stazzona
Stazzona
Stazzona is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 70 km north of Milan and about 40 km northeast of Como. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 672 and an area of 7.5 km²....
.
Main sights
The majestic Palazzo del Vescovo (Palace of the Bishop) was erected in the 17th century by the family of the Marquis Cossoni. In 1854, Carlo RomanòCarlo Romano
Carlo Romano was an Italian film actor and screenwriter. He appeared in 94 films between 1934 and 1975. He also wrote for 14 films between 1955 and 1975...
, the Bishop of Como, acquired the building from the Cossoni family.
In 1983 the Town of Dongo purchased the building. The citizens of Dongo, assisted financially by the Comunità Montana Alto Lario Occidentale, initiated the complete restoration of the Palazzo shortly thereafter.
Still bearing its original name, the building currently houses the Civic Institute of Music "Alto Lario," and, since December 2003, the International Piano Academy Lake Como
International Piano Academy Lake Como
The International Piano Academy Lake Como is a music school. Seven pianists, chosen annually from a worldwide field of 400 applicants including many international prizewinners, have the opportunity of studying with a faculty whose core membership past and present includes such stellar artists as...
.