Things to do in Cercino Italy – what to see attractions and activities

The parish church is dedicated to Saints San Colombano and Gregory but it is called San Marco for the processions that take place on 25 April.

The Civic Museum of Natural History was established in 1974 thanks to the interest of the Municipality of Morbegno and the collector Giacomo Perego. The aim was to offer a safe place to the collections of natural materials in the province of Sondrio and the neighboring territory.

The Segname tower was built between the 9th and 10th centuries, with the function of signaling dangers. The building had a simple structure. The tower had an important function because it was the only tower that controlled the entire surrounding area.

The Treasure Museum of the Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo di Chiavenna was inaugurated in 1957 and rebuilt in 1998 after 17 years of closing. It is located in some rooms of the rectory, within the complex of the Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo, dating back to the 5th century. It is developed in three rooms based on the age of belonging to the works present. The most significant work is the 'Peace of Chiavenna', one of the most important medieval pieces of silverware in Europe.

It is located in the charming collegiate church of San Lorenzo. It preserves a vast set of vestments and sacred furnishings. Main piece: “Peace of Chiavenna” covered with a twelfth century evangelary in embossed gold, gems, pearls and enamels, medieval masterpiece.

The mill of the former Moro pasta factory is located in Bottonera, the artisan district of Chiavenna, built in the 19th century in the upper part of the village and represents an important work of industrial archeology. It was Carlo Moro who gave life to the pasta factory. The foundation dates back to 1868, although as early as 1851 the Chiavenna Chamber of Commerce reported the presence of a "non-sweet pasta factory", known as "wheat mill and pasta factory" in 1890. The complex has come down to us almost intact. The mill was in operation day and night and the work, distributed over three shifts, was coordinated by a chief miller who, with a team of workers, supervised the operation of the machines and the loading into the bags of processing products: flour, bran, flour and half grains.

The Balbiani Palace was used as a residence by the Balbian Dukes of Varenna around the 15th century. It was rebuilt in 1930 after it had become a ruin following the abandonment by the Grisons family. The structure of the Palace consists of a compact block in stone, enclosed between two cylindrical towers. The original of the Palace are now only the perimeter walls and towers left.

The botanical-archaeological park of Paradiso is made up of two hills, the "Paradiso" and the "Castellaccio", which are located on the eastern edge of Chiavenna in a magnificent panoramic position, both over the city and the surrounding area. The two hills, separated by the deep crack of the "Caurga" (ancient Roman ollàre stone quarry), are connected by a daring walkway and crossed by a dense network of well-equipped paths that allow an easy visit and ascent to the most high. There are numerous attractions that justify a visit, in fact on the two cliffs there are concentrated: singular environmental, geological and landscape aspects, botanical varieties of flowers and plants, with rare species and exotic vegetation; various archaeological and historical remains such as the ruins of the old walls and the fortress; artistic and architectural artefacts in soapstone, flooring in "botòn" (scraps of soapstone turning). Inside the Torrione there is the naturalistic section of the Valchiavenna Museum in which geo-mineralogical and faunal installations are presented that illustrate the natural environment of the valley. In the building at the entrance to the ollàre stone quarry, it is possible to find the Archaeological Museum of Valchiavenna on the first floor. During the visit to the rooms it is possible to "walk" in the millennial history of Chiavenna and its Valley. We are accompanied along the path by didactic panels, reconstructive drawings of scenarios and landscapes and, above all, the finds, objects that directly from the past are able to tell us about the life, work and beliefs of those who lived in these places over the centuries.