The origin and name of the lumaghitt festival trace back to an ancient legend according to which three centuries ago, the inhabitants of the area managed to free themselves from the terrible hailstorms that devastated the crops every June, by imploring the protection of St. John the Baptist and making a solemn boat procession to Comacina Island, where a small church dedicated to the saint stood.

Since then, the furious storms ceased, and the procession is repeated every year, accompanied by festivities and nighttime illuminations. It became a tradition to eat polenta and snails on this occasion. Someone thought of using the empty shells of the mollusks: with a bit of oil and a wick, they became lights, hence the name lumaghitt.

Over time, the fires lit on the island and on floating rafts took on another meaning: they commemorated the great fire of the island in 1169, when the inhabitants of Como, seeking revenge on the Comacines (who had participated with the Milanese in the destruction of their city in 1127), ravaged the island, destroying everything, including the nine churches that stood on the fortified rock.
The spectacle of the lumaghitt begins at dusk. The fireworks, which last almost an hour, generally start after 10 PM.