Caglio: Village History and Nature Trails

Caglio is located at a high elevation in the shadow of Monte Palanzone. The medieval village features narrow alleyways, buildings with exposed stone masonry, arches and courtyards. Churches, chapels and trails through woodland and nature complete the village landscape. Here, you will find a destination where local history and the experience of the surrounding landscape come together seamlessly.

Stone, Churches and Local History

The alleyways of Caglio preserve traces of the work of local stonemasons, including stone portals, hewn stones and paving. The Romanesque church of Santa Valeria preserves 14th-century frescoes depicting the Madonna del Latte and Santa Valeria with the two children, Gervasio and Protasio.

The Santuario della Madonna di Campoè preserves a depiction of the Madonna del Latte between two musical angels, dated 1508. In the parish church of Saints Gervasio and Protasio, you will find a Baroque tempietto-style altar and a valuable marble balustrade.

The Cappella della Beata Vergine del Carmine, also known as Morti di Pianura, served as a hospital during plague epidemics. The Nevera is a traditional structure formerly used to store snow and keep food cool in summer. In a niche next to Casa Bianconi stands a remarkable 17th-century Madonna. The historic village centre also contains a stone Filetto, or Mulinello, game, an old game.

The chapels of the Stations of the Cross, designed by Ottavio Cabiati, line Viale Campoè on the way to the Santuario della Madonna di Campoè. The Percorso Segantini also includes the house in Caglio where Giovanni Segantini lived from 1885 to 1886.

Nature and Trails around Caglio

Just outside the village lies the Oasi faunistica e botanica di Caglio, a protected area. There, visitors can connect with the natural habitat and local fauna. The Oasi is home to rabbits, chickens, donkeys and sheep; a large aviary houses various bird species.

The short and accessible-to-all Sentiero botanico Due Passi shows the transition from a reforested area with conifers such as spruce and larch to a deciduous forest typical of these elevations. The trail first leads to a two-hundred-year-old beech tree and then to the Marian sanctuary of Campoè.

Caglio's chestnut grove now contains several thousand trees. From the village, it can be reached on foot via Via Ai Monti in about 15 minutes. An easy path through the chestnut grove leads to Colma di Caglio in about an hour.

An architectural and nature route in Caglio that can be explored on foot is designed to take about three hours; shorter versions take about two hours. The different route lengths help you adapt your daily planning to your available time and interests.

Planning Information for Your Trip

From Como, Caglio can be reached via Erba, Canzo and Asso; the route continues to Caglio via Rezzago. When choosing accommodation, you can consider the village's cultural attractions and nature trails as different focal points for planning your trip. The Romanesque church of Saints Valeria and Vitale in the grounds of Villa Giuliani is on private property and can only be visited on certain occasions.

More Places for Planning Your Trip

Also discover Inverigo, Sorico, Careno, Musso, Valbrona, San Fedele Intelvi, Uggiate-Trevano and Anzano Del Parco.

To the main trip overview: Como.