Como’s Romanesque masterpiece, this church in the 9th century was dedicated to Sant’Abbondio, former bishop of Como. In 1010 a community of Benedictine monks started reconstructing the church. Previous paleochristian building was torn down and a new Romanesque church was built and consecrated by
Urbano II in 1095.
In the following two centuries many important modifications were carried out.
Located outside the town walls, at the side of Monte Croce, along via Regina, the church has two bell-towers, a nave and four aisles and a deep choir decorated in the 14th century with a beautiful cycle of frescoes by the Lombard Giotto school portraying episodes of the Life of Christ.
After 1968, the cloister next to the church was acquired by Como municipality and restored. Nowadays, the law department of University of Insubria is located here.
