The ex-boarding school La Madonnina is 100 years old.
The structure, built in 1921 at the suggestion, among others, of Don Giuseppe Polvara, founder of the Beato Angelico school of art, thanks also to valuable restoration work over the years, still retains its beauty and continues to be one of the most loved and appreciated places in Lecco, as well as the symbol of Campo de’ Boi.
The building, which for more than fifty years has been a historic place of spiritual retreat during Holy Week and a summer holiday destination for hundreds of boys from the boarding schools of Saronno, Desio and Tradate, stands on a picturesque balcony on the slopes of the Magnodeno and Resegone mountains and boasts a breathtaking view of the city and Lake Lecco, over which stands the statue of a Madonna, as if to protect its inhabitants.
In the ex-boarding school there is still a well-preserved small chapel, frescoed by Ernesto Bertagna, one of the first pupils of “Beato Angelico” school of art. “The Deer at the Spring” consists of a painting that runs along all sides of the room and is considered a true example of sacred-naturalistic iconography.
During the war, the building, which also includes the guesthouse and the caretaker’s house, also served as a refuge for local residents and for classes transferred from the boarding school in Saronno, which was occupied by the Germans.
Today, the ex-boarding school La Madonnina is owned by Unicalce Group, which makes the outdoor areas of the property available to the community for special events.
Among the illustrious guests of the school was the Archbishop of Milan Cardinal Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, who came to Campo de’ Boi on 7 September 1930
