..a place that disappeared without reason, in time and in memories ..
about
The Molino Maufet is located in the village of Villatico in Colico (LC), a few steps from the Sentiero del Viandante, along the path of the Antica Roggia Molinaria which originates in Fontanedo, the first settlement in the town, dating back to 1100. The Molino Maufet was born in this period and precisely with a small building visible upstream of the current historical complex.
Even the Teresian Land Registry of 1718 gives traces of it thanks to a level contract, such as "Pila Site for Water Barley" owned by the Augustinian Friars of Gravedona, later taken over by the Sciucco family together with the Mill used instead for the grinding of Wheat and Maize .
There are traces of the mill complex also in the 19th century, a date still evident today on the architrave at the entrance. With the initials "MA BM" followed by "FEB 1826" the Sciucco family ceased the use of the pile, continuing the production activity with the mill. On the façade it is possible to admire the recovered fresco of S. Cristina di Bolsena, protector of millers, celebrated on 24 July.
The mill, active until the sixties and abandoned due to the death of the last millers, called “the Maufets”, is now owned by the Bettiga family, the same one that has been involved in restoration, enhancement and historical research for years.
It does not end here. The goal has never been only historical and cultural recovery: a mill is an extraordinary sustainable hydraulic work, capable of producing energy for itself and for others. Inspired by the European project Resto Hydro, the next step of the recovery plans to arrive one day to exploit all the energy potential of the mill.
where
Via Fontanedo 33, Colico (Lecco) | Villatico hamlet | Como Lake | Italy
Villatico is a fraction of Colico (province of Lecco), at the top of the northern branch of Lake Como; from here you can quickly reach Switzerland, Valchiavenna and Valtellina. In a panoramic position, the Molino overlooks the west coast of the lake on one side and the Prealps on the other . feeling of a journey far in time. The noises, the cars and the comings and goings of the center no longer seem to belong to that instant and almost suddenly the intense blue of the sky and the lake, the ancient majestic Church of San Bernardino, the old wash house and the narrow Vicolo Mulini lead to our mill. It is said that this intertwining of alleys jealously guarded by the imposing, but reassuring white bell tower surrounded by mountains, have within themselves the hidden seed of the first village of the Municipality. Continuous glimpses of leaning houses, on old cellars of blackened vaults with the suggestion of vines and fate spent on wet earth floors, scented with flour and heated only by the family hearth.
live the mill
The Guesthouse
The living spaces of the Millers' Family and the historic Casa Amalia, after careful restoration, now house six welcoming accommodations: Il Granaio, Casa Amalia, La Volta, Il Fienile, Alle Macine and La Roggia. The renovation took place in a sustainable way, reusing and relocating, where possible, the original materials, and adopting intelligent technologies for energy saving. Two black and white cats welcome guests in the large garden: Tillo and Tilla. They share the lawn with bees and other pollinating insects buzzing among lavender bushes, daisies and a centuries-old Lebanese cedar, while a small swing hangs from the branch of a pear tree. Monte Legnone watches over all of them which, with its 2,609 m, is the highest peak in the western sector of the Orobie Alps and hosts Valorga, the lowest snowfield in Europe, at 750 m.
The
Museum
"Place of the Heart" of Fai since February 2021, the mill has been restored in all its mechanical and accessory components. The small museum, which has recently become part of the Lombard Museum System and has become the seat of exhibitions and cultural events, collects in particular assets relating to milling activities, agro-forestry-pastoral activities and the family economy. Access is regulated by guided tours upon reservation.
pr o ject
About five years ago we fell in love with a place and an idea ..
The initial situation was so compromised that it certainly did not entice and it took great courage to undertake a recovery .. deterrent for which the mill had remained in total oblivion for over 60 years. If the initial abandonment could be justified by the fact that these structures were now industrially and economically considered out of the historical course and at the sunset of an active functional location, to date ... the only concrete and prospective alternative is to loudly recall their value intrinsic by relocating them functionally. Molino Maufet in its path that unfortunately started from scratch, has been structured to be an incubator of experiences aimed at being an example of a dynamic role that can be exported to other realities. It is therefore a question of protecting memories, traditions and values, but also of looking at new paths, including that of the micro-hydroelectric.
We thought that restoring this Molino and giving it a new functional location was the best way to protect it and preserve it over time .. and this is how now, when the works are almost completed, as a first step, its doors open to visits by appointment and it is It is also possible to spend a few days in one of the cozy accommodations of the Guesthouse.
Welcome on Como Lake
Breathtaking views, villas, villages, mountains, art, nature ... But above all people, who make all this truly unique and unforgettable! All this beauty must be shared and lived, so we can't wait to leave! We are waiting for you to fill your soul with timeless stories and to introduce you to a territory that remains in your heart forever. We are waiting for you on Lake Como! #LakeComo #LakeComoRestarts
In February 2021 the Molino was elected
Place of the Heart FAI!
