BASILICA OF SAINT ABUNDIUS, Como, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Basilica of Sant'Abbondio is an 11th-century Romanesque church in Como, a short walk from the old town centre. It is dedicated to Saint Abundius, a venerated bishop of the city, and is admired for its calm, austere architecture and its pair of slender bell towers.

The story behind it

The basilica stands on the site of a much older Palaeo-Christian church from the 5th century. Traces of that first building survive in the black and white marble stones of the pavement. The church you see today was raised in the 11th century in the Romanesque style that spread across Lombardy at the time.

Its patron, Abundius, was a Greek from Thessaloniki who became bishop of Como and was long remembered in the city. His relics are kept in the high altar. The plain façade tells its own story too: four half-columns mark the spot where a portico once stood, and above the entrance you can see decoration that was planned but never finished.

What to look for

• Walk around the outside to see the apse framed by the two bell towers, which rise on either side of the nave and give the church its elegant profile.
• Study the soapstone frames around the windows, carved with Romanesque leaves, birds and a few mischievous, devilish cats.
• Look at the four half-columns on the façade and imagine the portico that once stood in front of them.
• Check the pavement for the black and white marble stones that mark the earlier 5th-century church beneath your feet.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 20 to 30 minutes to walk around the exterior and, if it is open, to step inside. Check current opening hours before you go.
• Soft morning or late afternoon light shows off the carved stonework and the apse best.
• The church sits beside university buildings of the Faculty of Law, so the surrounding streets are often quiet and pleasant to wander.
• It is a working place of worship, so dress modestly and keep your voice low if you go in.

See it on a quest

You can reach the basilica on foot as one stop of The Como Heist: Catch the Phantom Thief, a self-guided quest through the city. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you, so you look properly at details like the carved windows and the unfinished façade instead of just walking past. You start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join, and one ticket covers the whole group.