Fah-reyendddd-zaa! I told you it was comin’ – our righteous PEZ-Tour of the famous Madonna del Ghisallo church, high above Lake Como in Northern Italy. This house of the salvation is home to Italy’s Patron Saint of Cyclists, and will make even the most dispirited souls take heed and feel uplifted…
Regular PEZ-Fans will know this is one of my favorite spots to ride, and a must see on any trip into northern Italy. I first saw it in 1994 when following the Giro, and have been back several times since. Every time it’s more amazing than the last, as much for the huge collection of historic cycling memorabilia on display, as for the absolutely heavenly location of the church. Located about 50km north of Milan, it’s pretty easy to get to as a day ride or if you’re staying at the lake.
The church is really no bigger than a small house, is situated on a climb about 554 meters above Lake Como, (754m above sea level), and can be reached by ascending from both the north and the south. The route from the north is the most spectacular and steep – hitting grades of 14%, and is a perennial fixture on the Giro di Lombardia race route. In our story on the Climb to the Madonna del Ghisallo we highlighted this preferred route up. It’s about a 12km climb from the jewel-like town of Bellagio on the lake, and will make you work off any amount of pasta, risotto, meat, fish, pizza – you‘ve consumed prior to setting out. If you get the chance, do it – it’s worth it – but you’ll want to fit an easy climbing gear (ie: 34x25) to save your knees from exploding on the way up.
Nestled in the crux of the upside-down “y” that is Lake Como, the church is easy to find, once you’ve been lost a couple of times…
The other route up is from the south, and is more or less 25km of gradual climbing through some very pretty forests and towns. There’s a bit more traffic on this side, and you’ll see tons more riders here also. But save this way for the descent – you’ll be much happier.
I told you this place was tiny – this is the view from the front door - .
My first time up the climb I made the usual wrong turn and added about 5km and 200m altitude to my ride – just familiarize yourself with a map beforehand and you should be fine. Once you’ve made the top – there’ll be no doubt you’ve arrived. You’ll pass a few other churches on the way – each time wondering “is this it?” – but you’ll know…
The walls are covered with tiny pictures of famous cyclists, some buried in the adjacent cemetery.
Italy is pretty much a great place any time of year, but September in the north is especially beautiful. The leaves in the surrounding forests are changing colors, you can pretty much count of good weather and temps in the 70-80F range, and the days start with that crispness that only comes as summer turns to autumn… perfect for riding.
You’ll see a lot of names you recognize. It’s typical in Italian churches to remember local parishioners with photos enshrined on walls and in gravesite headstones.
Inside you will be speechless. Getting a feel for the church requires only that you get there and look around, but talking to the locals gives you a much better understanding of what it’s really about. There’s no written history of the place, but there is a good story that says that about 1300 years ago, local villagers set up a small shrine in the area, where they could pray and seek refuge from the local bandits. Then in the 11th century, these local ruffians threatened a certain Count of Ghisallo while he was out hunting. He stumbled upon the Madonna at this spot and prayed for his life. The Virgin saved him, and the shrine became known as the Madonna del Ghisallo.
The walls are also covered with an awesome collection of historic jerseys that date back to early 1900’s. If you’ve never seen a wool maillot jaune with the Starsky&Hutch collar and the chest pockets – you will here!
Later they built a small church on the site, and in 1949, the Madonna del Ghisallo was appointed the Patron Saint of Cyclists by Pope Pius XII. The church has grown in importance over the years and is now a fixture on the route of many races, gran fondos, and rides.
The display of famous bikes is equally impressive – that’s Francesco Moser’s World Hour record bike on the left, and a TT bike made almost completely from wood – wheels and all – on the right.
Just behind Eddy Merckx’s World Champs bike is the Caloi that Fabio Casartelli was riding when he lost his life. It remains in the same condition it was after the crash, a chilling reminder to the dangerous side of our sport.
This huge bronze sculpture commemorates the fallen cyclist, and the other reaching for the heavens. Classic emotions most of us can relate to.
On the other side of the church are these larger than life bronze heads of Gino Bartali on the left, and Fausto Coppi.
The stunning views make you feel a lot closer to cycling heaven.
A brand new cycling museum has been under construction next to the church since 2004, and has been rumoured to open several times - the latest launch is reported to be this Saturday - so stay tuned for news on that too.
GET OVER THERE!
You know you want to and it will be worth it – get over there before it’s too late man! Riding all over the area is truly great, as I’ve said many times, and it’s a great trip to do with your riding crew, or with the better half who just wants to enjoy Italy.
The first fourteen stages of the 2010 Giro d'Italia are going to be the standard, delicious Giro fare. The final final seven days are going to be the ... More....
Four nights down, two to go. The racing was hot in Grenoble, the sideshows, arguably, just as hot. Edmond Hood was on the scene, working hard, making ... More....
The dust has yet to settle from the storm of Interbike, but the rains have started here at PEZ HQ, and that means time to strap on that piece of rain ... More....
Yes – it’s been a couple weeks since our last post, but we’re back and rollin' with more Interbike goodies, and the wait is worth it – Here’s what’s ... More....
So we're back from Interbike 2009. The hangover is very nearly gone, the feet are not close to normal, the back is still sore, but nothing itches ... More....
Zen masters let go of ego; teenagers are in the middle of creating one. That makes it a good time to coach mental skills with teens, and also a good ... More....
Cyclocross season is steadily progressing from the early season of warm and dry race days to the downright miserable and ugly weather that define the ... More....
As fall is settling upon the Northern Hemisphere many cyclists are looking forward to both the crux off their off-season and starting to plan for ... More....
With Lombardia and the end-of-season emphasis on all things Italia, what better way to begin the off-season transition than enjoy some quality miles ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: I love Scotland; but there’s no Gazzetta in the morning, most of the coffee tastes like John Wayne brewed it beside the ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: The Centenary Giro has only been over for a few days, but my personal trip to the Corsa Rosa ended back on Stage 5. With ... More....
Roadside Recap: As we make our merry way through the rounds of the PEZ Looks Back, Ed is up for his retrospective on the Tour that was. As the ... More....
Amongst all the gloom and doom of sponsors pulling out disenchanted with doping scandals, and races folding, winter track racing does have its ... More....
They may sound like a lounge singing duet, but there's no schmaltz to these guy's mission; they're trying to build a career playing to that most ... More....
The best team pursuit rider, ever? With national, world junior, Commonwealth, world senior and Olympic titles to his name, Aussie, Luke Roberts ... More....
Here at Pez we pride ourselves on being on the case of who's up and coming - but sometimes even Pez misses the boat. The first we heard of Tom Faiers ... More....
The cheer from the cabin next door to ours - below the Grenoble velodrome - told us that the result Flanders had been holding its breath for, had ... More....
An epic day of rain, pain, and suffering is now behind me, and I’ve got the lactic acid as proof after suffering through a super-tough, 3-climb stage ... More....
Sometimes my best rides have been those with the least forethought, the least amount of time, the most luck, and just plain looking for the squiggly ... More....
Soup, on many levels, is one of the best things to eat this time of year. It’s warm, it’s a great way to stay full without over-eating (when ... More....
The Wounded Warrior Projects Soldier Ride provides rehabilitative cycling events for severely injured service members. Soldier Ride is not about ... More....
Race report: Alejandro Valverde stayed upright to seal his Vuelta victory – the first Grand Tour win of his career. On such a short stage, ... More....
Race Report: Today David Millar won his 5th stage in all his Vuelta’s, he was given one of the swords that Toledo is famous for along with the ... More....
John Murphy has been promising big things for a long while now. The rider has moved consistently up the ranks over the past six years starting as a ... More....
They call it the ‘World Championship of Six Days’ – Munich. And the 2009 winners were – Bruno Risi and Franco Marvulli (Switzerland) from world ... More....
It’s still the off season, but BMC are gradually plugging the holes in their 2010 race roster, while Lotto are trying to do the same for their 2010 ... More....
America will never be Belgium, but as of 2009, it does have its own hardman Classic. In its first professional edition, the Tour of the Battenkill ... More....
Here at PEZ, we adore the mud-filled fun of the cyclocross season, but it's an all too rare event to be able to cover the racing like we do during ... More....
I was at the coffee shop the other day answering questions about those funny gold cranks on my bike (which, during the winter when I am riding my ... More....
We love bike racing at PEZ. We really do. Just like our favorite pros though, there's a time at the end of every season for pause, a time for ... More....
