Samolaco Among Church Art, Crotti and Historic Trails

Samolaco Between History and Sacred Buildings

Samolaco reveals itself through everyday history and sacred buildings. The Museo Etnografico Culumbée (Museo di Samolaco) displays numerous objects from the everyday life of the Samolaco community in past eras. The bell tower of Sant’Andrea dates from 1735 and is approximately 30 metres high. The Church of Sant’Andrea preserves paintings attributed to the Ferrari school, as well as a cycle dating from 1632 depicting the martyrdom of Saint Andrew by Giovan Battista Macolino.

The church in Paiedo, dedicated to Saint Francis, dates from the early 17th century. It houses a reliquary of Saint Placidus, donated in 1688 by emigrants living in Rome. The older buildings in Paiedo are built of stone and have roofs made of piòte, as well as typical wooden exterior balconies known as lòbie. In Paiedo, the feast of Saint Placidus is celebrated in early May and in September with music, dancing and tastings of traditional dishes.

Historic Trails and Hiking Destinations

Eight local routes are numbered from north to south; in addition, there are the historic Via Francisca and Via Crucis trails. The historic trails of Samolaco have been restored and signposted. The Via Crucis S. Andrea starts in Era and passes through the old centre of Cuéta, with its closely spaced houses. It runs through chestnut woods and crosses the Via Francisca behind Era’s old centre. The route from San Pietro via Ca Pipéta to the Torre di Segname has an elevation gain of 400 metres and a stated walking time of 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Historically, the Via Francisca led from Chiavenna through Mese, Gordona and Samolaco to San Fedelino. It is mentioned by this name in 1335 in the Liber magnum of the statutes of Como; it was probably already known in Roman times.

Crotti, Chestnut Groves and Local Traditions

The Via dei Crotti follows a mule track through chestnut groves and some vineyards towards Monastero and Santa Teresa. The crotti of Samolaco are natural cellars with very cool conditions and an almost constant temperature throughout the year. The traditional structure is well preserved in the old centre of Casenda. The tradition of the crotti of San Pietro includes sharing wine from terracotta jugs, along with alpine cheese and local salami. Traditionally, the crotti of San Pietro were visited by the entire population on Easter Monday and on 29 June, the feast of Saint Peter.

Landscape and Trip Planning

The mountainous areas of the Monti di Samolaco are located in the Bassa Valchiavenna; there are also cycle paths and a network of trails leading to alpine valleys.

For further Italian travel planning, you can also explore Mello, Pedenosso Valdidentro, Caiolo, Corna, Valdidentro, Albaredo Per San Marco, Cedrasco and Mazzo Di Valtellina.

For the higher-level travel overview: Sondrio.