Church of San Fedele

Church of San Fedele in Como: Between Romanesque and Romantic

The Basilica of San Fedele is located in the center of Como, in the square of the same name that was once used as a market. The shape of the church refers to a pre-existing building, but it has undergone numerous changes over the centuries.

The church features an original layout with three short aisles, three apsidal basins arranged in a cloverleaf pattern, and an ambulatory that ideally continues from the side aisles to embrace the apses. Of particular interest on the exterior, facing Piazza San Fedele, is the imposing bell tower.
The artworks are numerous and of great interest: two holy water fonts from Sant'Eufemia; frescoes from the late 14th and early 15th centuries. The 16th-century wall paintings by a follower of Gaudenzio Ferrari depicting the Marriage of the Virgin, the Nativity, the Announcement to the Shepherds, and the Epiphany; the Chapel of the Crucifix with stuccos by Diego and canvases by Carlo Innocenzo Carloni, and the 17th-century frescoes on the vault by Isidoro Bianchi, a pupil of Morazzone. Traces of ancient decoration can also be admired, including a 13th-century Assumption of the Virgin decorated in a mandorla.

From the square, the Church of San Fedele in Como appears simple and austere, perhaps in contrast to the elegant atmosphere found in the streets of the lake city's historic center. Surrounded by small shops and workshops, on a square that remains a meeting place for the local population today, admiring the facade of this Romanesque church takes you back to the times when Como was a wealthy medieval village in a dominant position within the territory. One can imagine a cart arriving in the square, a merchant shouting his offers, Barbarossa's soldiers on patrol: a distant breath from another era.

The Church of San Fedele is open to the public from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM, except during ongoing religious services.

The Church of San Fedele is a sacred place: please respect this church and those in prayer by maintaining appropriate behavior, covering your shoulders during the summer, and avoiding the use of flashes and ringtones inside.