Majestic 16th-century complex near Lecco

This majestic 16th-century complex for sale is surrounded by Bergamo's hills and is just 15 kilometres from Lecco, close to the most popular shores of Lake Como.Built in the second half of the 16th century at the behest of San Carlo Borromeo, until 2014 this majestic property hosted a prestigious Catholic boarding school, one of the oldest in Italy.The buildings also hosted illustrious political figures and ecclesiastical authorities, including Angelo Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII, and Francesco Nullo, a patriot from the Risorgimento.At the end of the 19th century, considered the golden age of this ancient school, the structure represented a real model of innovation, so much so that it could be defined as the forerunner of the current American colleges, with its enormous dormitories, sports facilities, libraries, theaters, kitchens and big courtyards.The former boarding school, after almost half a millennium of life, represents a very important example of scholastic architecture, a priceless piece of history masterfully preserved up to us. Recently, a wing of the property hosted the filming of the reality show "Il Collegio", which was very popular with tv audiences.With no limit or constraint on the intended use, this renowned complex for sale of indisputable historical and architectural prestige could become a university, a residential structure for the elderly, a private clinic or even a hotel or residential complex.Truly majestic in its size, this property boasts two independent entrances and several buildings and structures, as it measures 24,000 square meters and has almost 50,000 square meters of exteriors, which include a lush garden spread over three sides, two square courtyards with two porches, a forestal area and a spring of water, and football, basketball and volleyball fields that form a rectangle at the base of the entire structure.The historical main building, dating back to the mid-16th century, has been the subject of skillful renovations over the centuries, the last of which dates back to the 1960s, that have restored its original historical details, including the splendid frescoes that adorn the walls and ceilings of some halls. The second body of the property also dates back to the 1960s and houses a modern church in reinforced concrete, connected to the historical one by a single wing that was originally home to the rector's apartment and now is the caretaker's home.A third period building, also renovated in the 1960s, houses a theater with at least 500 seats, with a splendid panoramic terrace above, a gallery, and some stalls.Despite the countless maintenance works that have affected the entire property, it still needs a major renovation under the protection of the fine arts, in order to restore its vast interiors, which still feature spacious halls and classrooms. teaching facilities, refectories, kitchens, lodgings and dormitories, an indoor gym, a theater, a library, a zoological museum, a mineral and fossil museum, laboratories, stables, and vegetable gardens.