Colla-Muggiasca between the Cultural Trail and Artistic Tradition

Colla-Muggiasca between the Cultural Trail and Artistic Tradition

Colla-Muggiasca can be discovered through a short cultural trail, medieval religious buildings and the artistic tradition of the Baschenis family. The circular route “Le contrade e l’antica chiesa di Santa Brigida” is short and easy, takes about an hour and passes the entrance to a disused gypsum quarry. It therefore combines a manageable walk with several tangible examples of local history.

A Trail to Churches and Frescoes

The cultural trail “Le contrade e l’antica chiesa di Santa Brigida” leads in the Muggiasca district to the old fresco-decorated Cà Coerì building. It also leads to the medieval chapel of San Lorenzo in Carale and the old church along the route. This church has an original core dating from the 10th century and has been known as the Santuario dell’Addolorata since 1969.

San Lorenzo in Carale is a medieval oratory. On the rear wall of the presbytery there is a fresco dated 22 April 1591. This gives you an insight into different periods of sacred architecture and painting within a compact thematic setting, without the roughly one-hour circular route itself becoming a lengthy undertaking.

The Baschenis Family and the Museums of Colla

Another focus is the Baschenis artistic dynasty and other artists from the valleys of Alta Brembana. The Museo Baschenis at Via Carale 13 in Colla-Muggiasca is an exhibition centre dedicated to this artistic tradition. Its offerings include a reinterpreted permanent ethnographic collection with multimedia content, digital installations and new information panels.

Almost all the painters in the Baschenis family were born in the Colla district. A house in Colla has also been identified as the residence of Cristoforo’s dynasty. The Centro Museale di Santa Brigida is housed in restored rooms of an old stately building near the former settlement of Monticello. This provides visitors interested in culture with several different points of connection: painting, everyday history, sacred art and the architectural past of the settlements.

From Local History to the Alpine Landscape

The high variant of the Via del Ferro connects Santa Brigida, Cusio, the Colle della Maddalena, Ornica, the Colle Dudello, Cantello and Valtorta. Its route passes through unspoilt landscapes and along old alpine connecting paths. In addition to the short circular route in Colla-Muggiasca, this offers a broad landscape perspective that brings historic trails and the surrounding mountain landscape into view together.

When choosing accommodation in Colla-Muggiasca, you can take these different themes into account when planning your trip: the circular route offers a compact introduction to churches, frescoes and old buildings, while the museums and the art history of Colla provide their own reasons to visit. This allows the various trails and cultural sites to be arranged according to your interests, rather than focusing your stay on just one attraction.

Other Places in the Same Regional Context

For further orientation, you can also visit Bottanuco, Costa Volpino, Fino Del Monte, Scanzorosciate, Calcinate, Castro, Cavernago and Carona.

For the higher-level travel overview: Bergamo.