Berbenno: Historic Centre, Vineyards and Trails

Historic Berbenno around Casa Piccioli

In the historic centre of Berbenno stands Casa Piccioli, a former monastery of the Franciscan friars. The building retains a medieval layout and was altered over the centuries, particularly in the upper part of the building in the 16th century. On the façade, decorations in fresco and sgraffito create the window surrounds; geometric and floral motifs are stylistically characteristic of the 16th century. The house includes an open courtyard surrounded by high exposed-stone walls topped with merlons and featuring an arched stone entrance portal.

Church, Pilgrimage Route and Terraced Landscape

The second stage of the Cammino Mariano delle Alpi ends at the parish church of Beata Vergine Assunta in Berbenno. From the parish church, the Cammino heads towards Sondrio through characteristic terraced vineyards with dry-stone walls; the craftsmanship of these walls has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage asset. The second stage of the Cammino Mariano delle Alpi ends at the parish church; the Sentiero del Giuet begins there. This creates a succession of a sacred destination, a historic route and a wine-growing landscape with visible dry-stone walls.

Nature Trails and Routes with an Elevation Profile

The Sentiero del Giuet, opened in 2008, is ideal for nature and trail experiences. It is an ecological and natural-history trail that begins at the parish church, runs above Berbenno and passes through Dusone, Mulini, S. Gregorio, Dosso and Campi. The trail reaches an altitude of 850 m and offers a high vantage point over the Pyramidi di Postalesio.

The section of the Via dei Terrazzamenti between Sondrio and Berbenno di Valtellina has considerable elevation differences, runs mainly on asphalt and also includes sections on unpaved roads as well as climbs with steep gradients. If you plan to take this connection, you should factor the changing surfaces and challenging elevation profile into your day; asphalt, unpaved roads and steep gradients are all part of the same section.

The MTB-Berbenno, Alpe Caldenno MTB route starts and ends in S. Pietro Berbenno at 430 m and reaches a maximum altitude of 1,800 m at Alpe Caldenno.

Maroggia and Valtellina’s Wine Culture

Maroggia is a rural settlement located on a natural promontory planted with vineyards. Its origins date back to the early Middle Ages. Maroggia is surrounded by terraced vineyards and preserves rural buildings with stone walls, wooden galleries, stone stairways and large wine cellars. Maroggia wine is stored in these cellars; it is considered one of the oldest and most prestigious wines of Valtellina.

Cotizza also leads to a specific culinary detail: its dough is made with flour, whole eggs, milk, salt and Erba di S. Pietro; water is added if necessary.

Further places for planning your trip: Piateda, Corna, Santa Caterina Valfurva, Tovo Di Sant’agata, Casacce, Tartano, Consiglio, Premadio

For the higher-level travel overview: Sondrio.