Visit the most beautiful places of culture in Valtellina

Medieval castles, stately homes, historic palaces: evidence of noble and peasant life of centuries past abounds in the lower Valtellina, Valchiavenna and Alto Lario area. Discover some places to visit to go back in time, admire valuable artistic works and learn fascinating stories.

Vertemate Franks Palace

An extraordinary aristocratic complex consisting of palace, cottages and a system of green areas with vegetable garden, orchard and vineyard stands just outside Chiavenna, in Prosto, in a position isolated from the ancient village of Piuro swept away by a devastating landslide in 1618. It represents one of the most beautiful and best-preserved 16th-century mansions in Lombardy and holds paintings, frescoes, inlays, decorations, furniture and fine woodwork, as well as a scenic outdoor garden.

Bottonera Moro Mill

The Bottonera mill is located in Chiavenna, in the old artisanal district that exploited the river waters of the Mera for a wide variety of activities: in fact, breweries, wadding factories, a paper mill and the town’s pasta factory, as well as precisely several mills stood here. Decommissioned in the 1960s, today the mill has been perfectly restored and is a three-story museum testifying to the industrious past of this hamlet.

Malacrida Palace

In Morbegno, Palazzo Malacrida is an eighteenth-century aristocratic building designed by architect Pietro Solari and is the most shining example of the Rococo style in Valtellina. It deserves to be visited to admire the interior decorations, the work of several artists, which especially adorn the grand staircase and the Hall of Honor, and to admire Morbegno from above from the Italianate garden.

Fuentes Fort

In Colico, at the convergence of the Adda River and the Mera River, which flow into the Lario, for centuries this military fortress served as an outpost of control over the entire territory, to spot and deter enemy incursions. Built in the early 17th century by the Spanish to counter the neighboring Grisons, it later came under Austrian rule, only to be finally decommissioned in the Napoleonic era. From here it overlooks Lake Como, Valtellina, and Valchiavenna.

Fort Montecchio North

It is the best-preserved World War I fortress in Europe and is located in Colico, on the hill overlooking the present railway station, in a strategic position to guard the entire surrounding territory to protect Lombardy from the Austrian enemy. It was part of the so-called Cadorna Line, and today you can still admire the armaments of the time (4 cannons) and the fortified structures, as well as, of course, the splendid view.

Vezio Castle

Above Varenna, on the Lecco branch of Lake Como, towers Vezio Castle, a millennia-old military outpost that was once connected to the village by walls. The walls, gardens, dungeons and watchtower are preserved today, from where there are unparalleled views of the Lario.