The “Casa della Memoria” Alpine Museum is located at Pian delle Betulle, a beautiful mountain destination in Alta Valsassina, and you can find it at the cellar of the famous Votive Church, dedicated to Battaglione Morbegno.
The exhibition space of the museum is organized between the large entrance corridor and the three halls, on whose walls there are panels with photographs and texts. Hall Cereghini, dedicated to the architect of the Votive Church, Hall Morbegno, where there is the history of Battaglione, and Hall Tridentina dedicated to the homonymous military division, are very interesting.
In the exhibition there are also a handmade small scale reproduction of the Votive Church and a wrought-iron native scene, also it handmade, which refers to the Nazi camps and the white war in Adamello and the Russian Front.
It is possible to organize visits at the Alpine Museum. Please contact ANA of Lecco (mob: +39 0341 364108).
The Alpine Museum is open the first week-end of September, during the Alpine Feast.
Photo of the Alpine Feast by Alberto Locatelli.
The St. Agata Church in Tremenico has a history closely linked with the history of the small village of Valvarrone. Its origins are really ancient, as there are traces of its history in the parchment code “Liber Notitiae Sanctorum Mediolani” preserved in the Library of Duomo of Milan.
Over the years, many renovation and expansion works, strongly supported by the population of Tremenico, very devoted to the Holy Agata, have been made. In particular, said works have been supported also by citizens of Tremenico expatriated abroad for work (for instance: the altar comes from Venice).
The organ and the choir arrived in Tremenico in 1853 from Brianza, thanks to the generosity and the work of inhabitants.
Rassegna Organistica Valsassinese organizes several beautiful concerts and events into St. Agata Church, where you can find also many artworks.
The patron saint of Sant’Agata is celebrated with a traditional procession on February 5, involving civil and religious authorities and the people of Valvarrone, culminating with a solemn moment in the Church in Tremenico.
Visit also the historic village of Tremenico and the beautiful hamlet of Avano
Photo of the village by Paola Massari
Cortenova Sports Center, with the approval of Fidal, on August 20th organizes the II° Trophy Pian delle Betulle – Memorial Piero Carnovali, a race valid as Italian Championships Mountain Race for individual and companies (uphill and downhill).
The race takes place at Pian delle Betulle in Margno and the track, along meadow and moutain trails, is divided into a short path of 2,2km and a long one of 5,5km. The inscriptions are open to all athletes of Juniores, Promises, Senior and Master both male and female.
Inscriptions must be submitted by 8pm on August 17th, by registering online at www.otc-srl.it or by filling and sending the form to iscrizioni@otc-srl.it or at the fax-number 0318120248.
The program includes:
SATURDAY 19th: from 3pm to 7pm, pick up of race pennants at the competition office located in Piazza V° Alpini in Margno
SUNDAY 20th: – at 7.30am meeting at the cable-car and climbing towards the race field
– at 9.30am starting Junior Female and Master Female over 60 years old
– at 10am starting Absolute Race Female – Junior Male – Master Female < 60 years – Master Male over 60 years old
– at 11.30 starting Absolute Race Male – Master Male < 60 years old
Then, after all races will be the awards.
At the finish line there will be refreshments available to all athletes.
The Northern Grigna is not only a place where renowned climbings have been made, but is also a place deeply studied and explored during the last 40 years by numerous speleologists.
The Grignone is one of the largest and more important Italian karstic basins: there are wide white stretches and hundreds of caverns, predominantly grown vertically, due to the limestone. In particular, over the last 25 years, the knowledge about cavities has increased and still nowadays most of the caves are under exploration.
The Moncodeno cave with the glacier part is near the Rifugio Bogani and it can be reached from Alpe Cainallo, following the path number 25. Just before the huts of Moncodeno, at an altitude of 1700 meters, leave the path and turn on your left: pay attention and follow the yellow signals painted on the trees and the rocks until you will reach the entrance of the glacier part, after about 15 minutes from the deviation.
If you are interested in visiting the glacier cave please contact the mountain guides (Le Guide Alpine del Lario e delle Grigne). It is possible to organize guided visits.
Photo of the Moncodeno cave by vacanze2013.weebly.com web site.
Photo of the W Le Donne Cave by InGrigna project.
The Fiumelatte creek is a short water course originating from Grigna group of mountains and flowing into Lake Como near the homonymous village in Varenna.
It is known for the particular brevity of its course, only 250 meters.
Another particularity of the river is its regular intermittence since March 25th (which is also a festival of the village of Fiumelatte and Annunciation) until October 7th (Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Patron Saint of Varenna).
For this reason, it it nicknamed “River of two Virgin Marys”.
The intermittence is due to the fact that Fiumelatte creek represents the overflow of a karstic system, which begins in Moncodeno, inside the Grigna mountain.
In 1992, through an experiment with a non-toxic colourant in Abisso W Le Donne, located along the peak of Piancaformia, the link between Fiumelatte and the karst cave of Grigna Settentrionale (northern Grigna) has been demostrated.
The caves at the source of Fiumelatte stream and its evocative environment have favoured the birth of some legends.
From the cemetery of Varenna, on the left, there is a sign for the Fiumelatte’s source, where you can peek into the darkness of the cave.
Photo by: Carlo Borlenghi e Marco Pugliese
Maggiana is an hamlet of Mandello del Lario, on Lake Como, whose historical structure of the village develops around the ancient medieval tower, known as the Tower of Federico Barbarossa, as it was the emperor’s residence.
The Barbarossa Tower has a square shape, it is high 40 fathoms and wide 10. In the walls we can find ogival windows alternated with slits. You can enter in the Tower by a large doo, once decorated with frescoes, leading into a courtyard from which you can go upstairs until the last floor.
Around 1800, the ownership of the Tower went to Francesco Alippi who, proud of the ownership of a historical monument, renovated it, decorating the top of a terrace.
Nowadays, the Barbarossa Tower is a museum, established by the local association “Gruppo Amici di Maggiana” (GAMAG), that you can visit only on reservation and during the medieval themed festival “La Torre in Festa”, with attendees in costume, taking place every year in June.
For further information, please visit www.museotorremaggiana.it.
From the top of the Tower of Barbarossa the view stretches from Mandello del Lario and Lake Como to Bellagio. The village of Maggiana is another village that you can visit in the area. The hamlet of Maggiana has an hand-carved washtub, where the housewifes can still today wash their clothes in the main tub.
Photo by Carlo Borlenghi, that we wish thank.
We suggest you an easy and beautiful itinerary, starting from Piani dei Resinelli and going on through Valentino Park up to Belvedere (i.e. panoramic viewpoint) of Coltignone Mount. This itinerary has a circular route, suitable for everyone, including families with children, and it can be walked in all seasons.
Reach Piani dei Resinelli and leave the car in the parking near the skyscraper (it is possible to visit the Ancient Resinelli Mines) and from there, in few minutes, you will reach the entrance of Valentino Park. Then, leave on your right Villa Gerosa – House Museum of Grigne and continue uphill in the woods along a large mule track, following the direction “Monte Coltignone”.
In a little while, you will reach the famous Belvedere, a large panoramic natural balcony: from this point you will enjoy a remarkable view over Lecco, Lake Como, Braintei Lakes and, during the clearer days, you can see Brianza and Milan.
The trail continues as a ring, overlooking the Lake, and it is possible to start appreciating the view of Resegone Mount and Due Mani Mount. Following the direction “Paradiso or Cima Calolden” you will admire the panorama over the South Grigna Mount and finally you will arrive at the entrance of Valentino Park.
The whole walking takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes.
The Antonia Pozzi itinerary in Pasturo, in Valsassina, consists of 20 stages along the streets of the village, which lead up to the discovery of the work of the poet and the village she loved so much. Along the itinerary there are 20 permanent information plaques, with photos made by the poet herself, combined with verses of her poems or short passages of her diaries and letters.
It is possible to organize guided visits at Antonia Pozzi’s house: advance reservations and a minimum of 10 participants are required. Please, contact the Culture’s Council Member Moneta Andrea (mob. 340 5543290) or email info@comune.pasturo.lc.it
Antonia Pozzi came from a wealthy family, her father was an important lawyer in Milan and her mother a countess. She started writing her first poems during adolescence, and during the period of University of Milan she attended famous intellectual of the period.
Antonia loved writing, she had a diary and wrote lots of letters. She also planned to write an historical novel about Lombardy. Antonia also had other passions: such as photography, learning foreign languages and nature, she travelled around Italy and Europe.
Anyway, her favourite place remained her fabulous villa in Pasturo, at the foot of Grigna Mountain. Antonia loved writing and reading in the library. We can find references about Lake Como and its beautiful landscapes in her poems and verses.
Antonia was a sensitive and sweet person, unfortunately she psychologically suffered for some family’s restrictions and for the difficult historical and political moment, such as for the racial laws that caused the loss of some Antonia’s friends. Antonia killed herself only twenty-six, one night in December 1938.
She is buried in the cemetery of Pasturo: the funeral monument, a bronze Christ, is the work of the sculptor Giannino Castiglioni.
Source: Wikipedia and Valsassinacultura.it
The Bridge of Victory and the Moto Guzzi hydroelectric power plant are two intriguing points of interest near Cremeno, a small village of the Valsassina Plateau.
The Bridge of Victory
When the bridge was built it was certainly a gamble: it crosses the Pioverna torrent with an height of 96 meters, with a single arc of 200 meters. The structure is made of reinforced concrete, and it is a single parabolic arch 53.5 meter long, which, thanks to its slender pilasters sustain the bridge, with an original width of 5 meters and a length of 75 meters.
The structure has two cantilevered sidewalks on both sides, and there is an observation terrace in the centre of the bridge, where is also the monument to the Fallen.
The Bridge of Victory was constructed in 1924, projected by the engineer Danusso of Milan, and was built by the Terzi company. Later, it was then reinforced in 1984, widening the floor to have a 6 meter roadway but leaving intact its original architectural and stylistic features.
The Moto Guzzi hydroelectric power plant
After the Second World War, Moto Guzzi built in Valsassina a power plant to bring electricity to the factories of Mandello del Lario, exploiting the waters of Pioverna. Closed in the 1960s, it was largely dismantled, with the exception of a long cement line connecting Moggio, Cassina, Cremeno and Maggio. The line is visible along the route from the village of Maggio to the locality Tonalli di Sopra, Pra Marc and to the ancient road to Culmine of St. Peter.
In one of the valleys where the power plant’s torrents flowed there is the Cascina Cornella. The owner, Marialuisa, has rebuilt the history of the power plant and of the workers who worked there between 1947 and 1950: you can contact her for curiosity and anecdotes. For the area of Valsassina Plateau, the hydroelectric power plant represented a great opportunity for development and led to work in the difficult postwar period.
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