Basilica of Sant'Abbondio
Sant'Abbondio sits outside Como's old walls, along the ancient Via Regina that once carried merchants and armies north toward the Alps. Walk down toward it and the two Romanesque bell towers appear before the façade does — a useful reminder that this building was already a century old when the rest of medieval Europe was still finding its feet.
Inside, five naves divided by stone columns lead you toward a apse covered in a mid-14th-century fresco cycle, still vivid. Beneath the high altar lie the relics of Bishop Abundius, who died here in the fifth century and gave the basilica its name some four hundred years after his burial.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to linger in front of those apse frescoes longer than they planned — the light shifts enough through the morning that the colours read differently depending on when you arrive. Check the floor near the entrance, too: marble slabs mark the outline of the original fifth-century church foundations directly underfoot.
The story behind Basilica of Sant'Abbondio
The site traces back to a church built in the fifth century by St. Amantius, third bishop of Como, to house relics of Saints Peter and Paul brought from Rome. Bishop Abundius, who died here, was buried on the grounds; by the ninth century the church had been rededicated in his name. It served as the bishop's seat until 1007.
The Benedictines rebuilt it in Romanesque style between 1050 and 1095, the work carried out by the Maestri Comacini — Como's own master builders. Pope Urban II consecrated it on June 3, 1095, while travelling to the Council of Clermont, where he would call the First Crusade. The northern bell tower collapsed in 1784; archaeologist and seminary teacher Serafino Balestra rebuilt it in the 19th century to match its surviving twin.
Good to know
Entry is free; the basilica is open mornings and afternoons daily, with a midday closure. Allow an hour, more if you're interested in the frescoes. The adjacent building is now a university law faculty, so the surrounding courtyard can be lively on weekdays.
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What travellers say about Basilica of Sant'Abbondio
Very nice Romanian Basilica with old history and beautiful frescoes
One word for this Basilica... incredible! The Rev. Fr that walked us through the story of the basilica made it sound and look so lovely. I couldn't help but wonder how the love of God have greatly inspired the generation before us.
It's a quiet little basilica tucked away in Como. We went there on a Monday and it was completely empty. There's no ticket or queue at all. The main ceiling and walls above the altar have nice frescoes. You can pop in 50 cents to light up the place for a few minutes and have a good look at the altar and it's walls.
This is the second oldest church according to our guide. Unlike so many churches in Europe, which are often a mixture of various styles, here one finds quite a rather unaltered Romanesque construction. The Basilica, built in the 11th century over an even older church as has been found out by recent excavations, is aesthetically very pleasing - from the exterior as well as inside. There are also some wall paintings, although they date from the 14th century. In the middle are the relics of Saint Abbondio, a local bishop, and of two of his successors, rather unknown saints elsewhere. Next to the church is a courtyard, recently restored, which now gets used by the town's university
Beautiful, peaceful snd completely empty. Much more ancient than the grander Duomo in the centre of Como. There’s beautiful artwork too.
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