Madonna del Ghisallo, ITA

The Madonna del Ghisallo is no ordinary climb. On top of the hill at Magreglio, high above Lake Como, stands the sanctuary of the patron saint of cyclists. No other place connects cycling and myth this directly. As a physical test the Ghisallo is very manageable. As a piece of cycling history it is one of the most important places in Italy.

The Ghisallo at a glance

The route here runs from Erba via Magreglio to Bellagio: 17 kilometres, 478 metres of climbing, 2.8 percent on average, eleven percent at the steepest. The chapel sits at around 754 metres. The climb has two faces: the gentle southern approach through the Vallassina valley, and the classic side from Bellagio right on the lake, shorter and noticeably steeper.

The route

From Erba the road stays flat for a long time. The first eight kilometres roll through the valley at two to three percent, and only from kilometre nine does a first ramp of around seven percent appear. After that it undulates onwards before the final two kilometres up to Magreglio kick again. That is where the steepest section of this approach sits, briefly eleven percent. Then you are standing in front of the chapel.

The more famous side starts in Bellagio. Just under ten kilometres with a good 550 metres of climbing, hairpins with lake views, a short descent in the middle and a steep finale. That is the direction the pros of Il Lombardia come from, and the direction that stays with you.

History and racing

The name goes back to a legend: Count Ghisallo, ambushed by bandits, is said to have found rescue here at an image of the Virgin Mary. The chapel dates from 1623. It became cycling history in October 1949, when Pope Pius XII officially declared the Madonna del Ghisallo the patron saint of cyclists, at the initiative of the local priest Ermelindo Viganò. The autumn before, a relay of professional riders had carried a torch from Castel Gandolfo to the Ghisallo, Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali among them. It stands in the chapel today, next to the eternal flame that burns for cyclists who have died.

The chapel is full of votive offerings: bikes and jerseys of Coppi, Eddy Merckx, Francesco Moser and Alfonsina Strada, the first woman to ride the Giro. Since 2006 the Museo del Ciclismo right next door has expanded the collection. On the race calendar the Ghisallo belongs to Il Lombardia: first included in 1919, with Costante Girardengo first over the top, and ever since, with few exceptions, it has been the signature climb of the Race of the Falling Leaves. The Giro d’Italia has paid its visits too.

Practical tips

The Ghisallo sits low enough to be rideable almost all year, and it is at its best in spring and autumn. At the top there is a bar, the museum and the famous bronze statue of a cyclist, plus plenty of like-minded company. If you start in Bellagio, combine the climb with the ferry across the lake. On summer weekends the lakeside road gets busy, so start early.

How does the Ghisallo compare?

As a physical test the Ghisallo is the friendly introduction to Lombardy. The real brutality waits a few kilometres further on at the Muro di Sormano, which demands on two kilometres everything the Ghisallo happily spares you. And if you are after the Italian myth in full size, you will find it on the Stelvio. The Ghisallo wins a different classification: no climb carries more cycling soul per metre of altitude.

Our own experience

We rode the climb from the Bellagio side, and even so the challenge stayed within limits. It was good riding, and as a reward the famous bronze racing bike waits at the top, a hotspot for travelling cyclists.

The Ghisallo naturally belongs on our 100 Climbs posters. A climb you collect not for the gradients, but for the history.

Why is the Madonna del Ghisallo the patron saint of cyclists?

Pope Pius XII declared the Madonna del Ghisallo the patron saint of cyclists in 1949, following a proposal by the local priest Ermelindo Viganò. An eternal flame has burned in the chapel on the pass ever since, in memory of cyclists who have died.

Which side of the Ghisallo should I ride?

The classic side starts in Bellagio: just under ten kilometres with hairpins, lake views and a steep finale. The approach from Erba through the Vallassina valley is much gentler and longer. If you want the original of Il Lombardia, ride from Bellagio.

How hard is the Ghisallo?

With 478 metres of climbing and a maximum of eleven percent, the Ghisallo is moderate for a classic climb. From Bellagio the ramps are punchier but easy to pace. The reward at the top outweighs the effort anyway.