Cavaglio-Spoccia: Ecomuseum, Churches and Borromea Trails

Between Everyday History and Ancient Sacred Buildings

Cavaglio preserves characteristic old corners of the village. The Centro di documentazione dell’Ecomuseo del Lago e dei Monti in Lunecco preserves objects and documents relating to the daily life of the inhabitants of Valle Cannobina. For a stay that brings together the village landscape and regional history, two distinct approaches are therefore possible: a look at Cavaglio itself and the documented everyday culture of the valley.

The Lunecco Ecomuseum

The Lunecco Ecomuseum includes reconstructions of a home and an inn. The ethnographic exhibition “Al femin d’in val” focuses on the everyday lives of women in Valle Cannobina up to the mid-20th century. The reconstructions of the home and inn complement the preserved objects and documents with two concrete spaces. With advance registration, visits for school groups can be organised at the ecomuseum, and members of the Valle Cannobina folk group may provide the accompaniment.

Walking Trails through Forests and Terraces

From Spoccia, a signposted walking trail follows an old path to Alpe di Bronte. It passes through chestnut forests and alongside old terraces. The Borromea also runs through extensive chestnut and oak forests, where deer, chamois and roe deer may be encountered. On the Borromea, encounters with deer, chamois and roe deer remain a possibility; they are not assumed to be a guaranteed part of every route. Alongside the chestnut forest, the old terraces give the route from Spoccia a clear connection to the cultivated landscape.

Churches in Cavaglio and Spoccia

In Spoccia, the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena has been documented since 1445 and was consecrated in 1546. It is also associated with the Via Borromea. In Cavaglio, the Parrocchiale di San Donnino dates from the late Middle Ages and was consecrated in 1517. The Via Borromea highlights late-medieval frescoes in the Parrocchiale and in the Oratorio della Madonna delle Grazie “del Rì”; fragments of 16th-century frescoes are preserved in San Donnino and are often attributed to Antonio da Tradate.

Oratories with Special Details

The single-nave Oratorio della Madonna delle Grazie “del Rì” was built in 1670 to enhance an older chapel containing a late-15th-century image of the Virgin Mary. The oratory contains a slab of Candoglia marble regarded as a relic of Christ’s footprint. The Oratorio della Madonna di Re in Spoccia can be reached via a stone staircase with 75 steps and a length of 40 metres. For viewing Madonna di Re from outside, the staircase and the façade windows are two separate points of reference: the 75 steps and 40 metres describe the ascent, while the windows offer a possible view of the interior. It is usually closed; however, its interior can be viewed through the windows in the façade.

Other Places in the Same Region

Gravellona Toce, San Domenico, Quarna Sopra, Miazzina, Vogogna, Mozzio, Feriolo Di Baveno and Bognanco.

To the broader travel overview: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.