Cultural experiences

Located a short distance from Chiavenna, Belfòrt is one of the most fascinating places for understanding the history of Valchiavenna through its material remains. Rather than being a fully developed museum site, it is a constantly evolving area where archaeological research continues to expand knowledge of the location. Belfòrt occupies a strategic position along one […]

Luigi Guanella was born in Fraciscio di Campodolcino on 19 December 1842 to Lorenzo Guanella and Maria Bianchi. During his First Communion, on 8 April 1852 in Gualdera, he experienced a spiritual event that deeply marked his life: an apparition of the Virgin Mary, who foretold a future dedicated to charity. He was ordained a […]

Founded in 1867, the mill stands in the artisan district of Bottonera in Chiavenna. Spread across three floors and powered by a complex system of pulleys, belts and millstones, it operated continuously day and night. The work was overseen by the head miller, supported by workers responsible for monitoring the machinery and filling sacks with […]

Built between the 17th and the early 18th century, the house takes its name from one of its last owners. Today, owned by the Comunità Montana della Valchiavenna, Cà Bardassa hosts the local branch of the ethnographic museum, offering a vivid testimony to mountain life and traditional rural dwellings. The large, pitched roof covered with […]

In the heart of the Alps, between Lake Como, Valle Spluga and Val Bregaglia, Chiavenna is a place where nature, culture and local food traditions exist in perfect balance. These distinctive qualities have led the Touring Club Italiano to repeatedly confirm the Orange Flag award, recognising the town’s high standards of hospitality, landscape conservation and […]

The Treasure Museum is housed within the evocative Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo, a complex whose origins probably date back to the 5th century AD. The portico, built between the 17th and 18th centuries to enclose the cemetery and host religious processions, surrounds the area with understated elegance, while the 16th-century bell tower watches from […]

Walking through Chiavenna’s historic centre means exploring an urban landscape shaped by centuries of architectural and historical layers. Decorated façades, fountains and soapstone portals, often adorned with floral and geometric motifs, define the visual identity of the town and reflect a deeply rooted local craft tradition. Much of the centre developed from the 16th century […]

The church is dedicated to Saint Guglielmo de Orenga, a hermit who lived in the 13th century and chose this secluded place to lead a life of prayer and poverty, living on what nature provided and on alms from travellers. For many years, the saint was mistakenly associated with the French House of Orange, but […]

In the heart of Chiavenna’s old town, the Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo stands as one of the most significant places in the religious and cultural life of the valley. For centuries, it has accompanied the history of the town and remains a landmark for visitors wishing to explore the historical and artistic heritage of […]

The hall opens beneath a vaulted ceiling decorated with elegant geometric and floral motifs, while the walls are articulated by allegorical figures and deities from the classical world. Hercules, Neptune, Saturn and Vulcan are depicted as representations of the four fundamental elements: air, water, earth and fire. The choice of this theme is far from […]

It was on 10 October 1492 when two young girls from the nearby villages of Vho and Lirone were gathering chestnuts in Gallivaggio and were suddenly enveloped by a light brighter than the sun. Within that radiance, the Virgin Mary appeared to them, clothed in a white veil and surrounded by angels. Speaking with a […]

The outdoor route first leads visitors to the Italian garden, laid out according to a geometric design and enhanced by the ornamental fish pond with its double exedra balustrade. At the centre stands a fountain featuring the statue of Hercules, while the wall facing the road still preserves traces of the original frescoes dedicated to […]

The room stands out for the richness of its decoration. The walls are entirely covered with frescoes, while the ceiling is enhanced by a magnificent carved wooden covering, regarded as one of the artistic masterpieces of the palace. The large central coffer, distinguished by its refined interplay of carving and volume, is dominated by the […]

Motta can be reached from Campodolcino via the underground Sky Express funicular railway, or on foot from Madesimo along a scenic trail that leads to the foot of the statue in approximately thirty minutes. Situated at around 2,000 metres above sea level, the site offers sweeping views over the valleys below, framed by forests, rocks, […]

The building, now home to the municipal library, once housed the village dairy. Here, among bookshelves and reading spaces, two rooms display the traditional equipment used to transform fresh milk into butter, cheese and dairy products, allowing visitors to discover a world that once stood at the heart of local daily life. The museum is […]

The Museum of the Via Spluga and Val San Giacomo is housed in a historic 16th-century building in the hamlet of Corti, Campodolcino. Its walls tell the story of the valley and the essential role played by the Via Spluga as a vital connection between the Mediterranean world and the lands north of the Alps. […]

The two hills known as “Paradiso” and “Castellaccio”, separated by the deep Caurga gorge and connected by a suspended footbridge, offer a route through trails, glacier-shaped rocks, and spectacular viewpoints. Since 1955, the park has been part of the Museum of Valchiavenna and represents a remarkable combination of natural and archaeological heritage. Giant potholes, erosion […]

When people think of dessert wines, they often imagine sun-drenched Mediterranean landscapes. Yet among the Alps of Valchiavenna, an extraordinary passito wine is produced from grapes grown in a historic vineyard dating back to the 16th century. Harvest takes place in mid-September. The grapes are carefully picked and left to dry naturally for four months […]

Here, the images, tools and voices of the picapréda—the stonecutters who shaped the destiny of the village—come back to life. For generations, men and entire families quarried and worked Sanfedelino granite, named after the first quarry, that opened beside the small shrine dedicated to Saint Fidelis, a martyr of 298 AD. From this compact grey […]

The Piuro Excavation Museum, located within the sacristies of the Church of Sant’Abbondio, preserves the remains of a thriving community destroyed on 4 September 1618 by the landslide from Mount Conto. One thousand lives were lost as houses, churches and palaces were buried beneath three million cubic metres of rock and mud. The disaster echoed […]

A short distance from Chiavenna, this location represents one of the most striking examples of the meeting between human presence and the power of nature. On one side stands the Roman Bridge, a historic reminder of the routes that crossed the Valle Spluga; on the other is the Rabbiosa Gorge, a dramatic rocky chasm shaped […]

Established in October 2008 by the Samolaco Library Cultural Association, the museum extends across four raised floors and a basement. Originally conceived as a photographic museum, it preserves illustrated panels dedicated to the history of the village, local traditions, work and life in the mountain pastures, with captions translated into several widely spoken languages to […]

At the northern end of Lake Mezzola, near the mouth of the Mera River and at the foot of Mount Berlinghera, stands this tiny Romanesque church, one of the oldest and most evocative in Lombardy. It can be reached on foot from Casenda in Samolaco or by boat from Novate Mezzola. Its secluded location protected […]

Built in 1618, the sanctuary was inspired by the Holy House of Loreto, which arrived in Italy from Tersatto and originally from Palestine. The foundation stone was laid on 27 March of the same year by Archpriest Giovan Pietro Paravicini, who blessed the chapel on 5 July and donated a wooden statue of the Madonna […]

In Valchiavenna, soapstone is far more than a material: it is a constant presence in the history, craftsmanship and daily life of Alpine communities. It is a variety of serpentine rich in talc and chlorite, characterised by a relatively soft texture and high heat resistance, making it particularly suitable for carving and domestic use. Its […]

Passing through the entrance portal, visitors arrive in the entrance hall, one of the palace’s most spectacular spaces. Here, the contrast between the restrained exterior and the richness of the interior decoration immediately reveals the elegance of the residence. The walls depict Hercules, Neptune, Saturn and Vulcan, interpreted as allegories of the four elements: air, […]

The Museum Pass (Biglietto Unico Museale – B.U.M.) is a carnet that allows visitors to explore 12 museums plus the Acquafraggia Waterfalls Natural Monument for a special price of 10 euros. It’s a great opportunity to discover some of the most significant sites in Valchiavenna, including museums, archaeological sites, historic buildings, and natural landscapes of […]

Founded in 1982 by the Associazione Amici della Val Codera ONLUS and officially recognised by the Lombardy Region, the Val Codera Historical, Ethnographic and Natural History Museum presents the valley as an Eco museum, with exhibits spread across the villages of Codera and San Giorgio, both reachable only on foot. Here, every visit becomes a […]

The firefighters of the Mese Fire Station, heirs to the tradition of the Chiavenna Fire Brigade founded in 1868 as the Municipal Fire Brigade, have proudly preserved the evidence of this long history. Within the station premises, the Historic Gallery of the Valchiavenna Municipal Fire Brigade was created and completed in October 2002. Each exhibit […]

Walking through the 200-metre main tunnel, visitors enter an atmosphere suspended in time. The echo of footsteps recalls those of the soldiers once responsible for maintaining the gallery. It is easy to imagine the vast quantities of explosives stored in the flooded shafts, ready to sever road and railway connections if necessary. The underground labyrinth […]

The eastern side of the complex is home to the rural area, where buildings once used for managing the agricultural estate can still be seen. Some of these structures even predate the construction of the palace, bearing witness to the site’s long-standing rural vocation. Among the most important features is the screw wine press, used […]