Guarisca Arrigoni: The history and legend of the Cantello monastery

Historical and legendary accounts detail the life of Guarisca Arrigoni, a figure from the noble Arrigoni family of Valsassina born in 1382. According to local legend, after being abandoned by a man, she dedicated her life to service by establishing a hospice on the Cantello hill to aid the sick and poor.

This hospice eventually evolved into a monastery. While she is venerated through popular local cult rather than a formal canonical process, various historical texts and manuscripts have documented her life and the monastery, including works by Eugenio Cazzani and Don Carlo Bazzi.