Tovo Di Sant’agata: Castle, Churches and Mortirolo

Between the Castle, Mountain Roads and Church Art

Bellaguarda Castle stands above Tovo Di Sant’agata. Churches, frescoes and mountain routes complete the cultural and scenic picture.

Bellaguarda and the Madonnina Complex

Bellaguarda Castle can be reached on foot via a paved path through the surrounding woodland; the Sentiero dei Castelli also leads to it. The tower is already mentioned in documents from 1226, while the later-built castle is documented from 1340 onward.

The Madonnina complex is located above Prestino. It comprises a service building, the Oratory of Saints Hippolytus and Cassian, which predates 1500 and has its own bell tower, as well as a later church, construction of which began in 1893 and was completed around 20 years later. The church is dedicated to the Madonna di Caravaggio.

The complex contains frescoes painted by Cipriano Valorsa in 1560. A religious tradition takes place on April 25: The parishioners of the former parish of Mazzo traditionally visit Madonnina to pray for a good sowing and harvest. The frescoes of Pian di Scala are located in a wooded area on overhanging rocks and date from the 15th century.

Hiking and Cycling Around Tovo

The third stage of the Cammino Mariano delle Alpi reaches the higher houses of Tovo Di Sant’agata and then continues through forests and chestnut groves to the Madonna di Caravaggio church.

The climb to Mortirolo from Tovo Di Sant’agata is 12.5 km long, gains more than 1,300 metres in elevation and reaches a maximum gradient of 23%. The road hosted the Giro d’Italia in 2012. When planning a cycling tour, the distance, elevation gain and maximum gradient are all equally relevant; planned breaks can be arranged around these specific route figures. A partly unpaved mountain road also leads from Tovo to the mountains on the Orobic slope and connects the village with the road to Mortirolo and the road to Trivigno. When planning the day, the partly unpaved section from Tovo can be considered a separate route section alongside the climb to Mortirolo.

Parish Church and Casa Canali

The parish church of Tovo Di Sant’agata has a Baroque-style façade with four pilasters, a central cornice and a triangular pediment. Inside is a painting by Fermo Stella da Caravaggio depicting the Virgin Mary crowned by angels.

Casa Canali is a former private residence under heritage protection and owned by the municipality of Tovo Di Sant’agata. It has been restored and converted into a public multipurpose space. For opening hours, contact the secretariat of the municipality of Tovo Di Sant’agata.

A Regional Taste

Tovo Di Sant’agata is known for producing high-quality Valtellina apples.

For your further travel planning in Italy, you can also consider Tresivio, Consiglio, Torre Di Santa Maria, Campodolcino, Valdisotto, Corna, Sant'Antonio Albareda and Gordona.

For the higher-level travel overview: Sondrio.