The beautiful city by the Como Lake
Bellagio on Lake Como during the #italiagrandsketchingtour.
Once I arrived in Bellagio I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful town located by the lake. To get there the street is all curves down the mountains that I really enjoyed with my motorcycle. Unfortunately I discovered that the brakes didn’t like it the same way and they stopped working for few days, while I was taking part in a retreat of the Love Out Loud movement. Â
Salita Serbelloni in Bellagio
Before the retreat, I took a walk and Salita Serbelloni was one of the first beautiful views that I admired entering the town and I decided to draw it and have a pizza just nearby. This is of the most walked and photographed passageways in the heart of Bellagio. It is full of fashionable boutiques, restaurants and a variety of shops. But it is just one of the many narrow streets that can be explored while in town. That is what I did after drawing and lunch. I saw several incredible views while walking and decided that I would draw them after the retreat.Â
The Church of Saint Maria La Loppia in Bellagio
After my workshop I went back to sketch this old church situated just outside the historical center. Walking along the long lake there is this small bay and a hill. Along the stairs that climb the hill, lies the church of Santa Maria di Loppia. From the shape of the windows and the apse, the absence of decorations and the construction material the hypothesis are that the construction took place in the last quarter of the tenth century. The church passed through different hands but it remains on eof the most ancient places in town.
View of Lake Como and Bellagio
Spending those few days in Bellagio I fell madly in love with Lake Como. The air and the energy is so pure that everything feels like a painting and stopping to watercolor is a great pleasure. For me it was pure instinct and a pure taste of life. I took one last walk in Bellagio and took the time for a last sketch of the Lake Como and the breathtaking lake front. I tried to capture the layers of hills that accompanied the eye to the horizon. The experience was pure pleasure. Every brushstroke felt inspired by the love and connection I felt to this place.Â
Those paintings are from the Italia Grand Sketching Tour Collection, a series of original ink and watercolor paintings done on location during my tour to discovery the marvelous Italian heritage. All paintings are also available as numbered and originally signed prints. Check them in my shop.
