Restoring San Colombano Priory: Conservation Challenges and Opportunities

Abandoned in general neglect. Just outside the town center, behind the shaded road lined with ancient cypress trees climbing the morainic hill toward the Eremo di San Giorgio, lies the priory of San Colombano, completely unguarded. Or rather, what remains of what was once a dependency of the Abbey of Bobbio and managed, at least from the 9th century, as part of a vast patrimony consisting of lands, forests, and buildings primarily spread across the territories of Bardolino, Garda, Costermano, and Lazise. Today, only a few tattered fragments of walls and the reshaped remains of what was once the chapel—now reduced to a refuge for vagrants—serve as faint reminders of this ancient monastery. A true disgrace. A punch in the stomach, striking anyone who furtively steps onto the private property and, from the east side, enters the small church altered by 18th-century interventions. To the visitor’s eyes—despite the abandoned site offering little confidence—driven by curiosity and attracted by the call of art, simple yet a sign of history—an altogether unquiet panorama unfolds. Pieces of glass scattered everywhere, charred papers in the broken tabernacle of the only altar made of yellow marble from Torri, piled-up benches, and eroded walls. Amidst the dirt and humidity, a painting dating roughly to 1960, depicting the Virgin and San Colombano—an work by Leonardo Peretti—still survives. Outside, on the main façade crowned with a triangular pediment and an eye in the center, the neoclassical-shaped small temple is almost hidden from view by overgrown vegetation. On the opposite side, attached to the church as natural appendages, lie dilapidated rural buildings—large mostly empty spaces, bearing little edifying testimony to our civilization. An authentic abandoned natural paradise. How to save it? An agreement must be reached between the property owners and major part of the hill, now owned by a limited liability company, San Colombano srl, based in Verona, and the Municipality. No purely speculative operations are allowed: the priory has a monument restriction, and the entire surrounding area is subject to strict environmental protection. In short: any renovation work must have the approval of the Superintendence of environmental and architectural assets. A guarantee that safeguards against potential development ambitions. The owners have expressed a general willingness to restore what exists and create a health trail for the benefit of tourists and residents, San Colombano srl reports. A walk among the olive trees with horizons expanding over the lake basin. “We are always available and open to considering proposals that improve a situation of decay,” says Mayor Armando Ferrari. “Always, of course, if the private interests align with those of the Municipality. In this specific case, there is a monument restriction to respect, so it’s up to the Superintendence to issue opinions regarding any renovation project for the existing structures.” Stefano Joppi