Things to do in Ponte in Valtellina Italy – what to see attractions and activities

The Castionetto Tower was built between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries and belonged to the Ghibellina family of the Quadrio. The building was used as a fortress to oversee the entire surrounding area and has a quadrangular structure. Today it is not in good condition.

This building was built in 1433 by Azzo I Besta and represents one of the most important Lombard Renaissance residences. It is a typical example of Renaissance architecture Patrizia Lombard. All rooms on the first floor are frescoed with mythological motifs, while the “Antiquarium Tellinum” museum is built on the ground floor.

The antiquarium, which is located in the first floor of Palazzo Besta, was opened in 1965. He owns a large collection of archaeological testimonies starting from the 8th millennium BC until the Roman period. The most particular elements of the antiquarium are the three stelae of Caven, dating back to the third millennium.

The tower dates back to the Middle Ages, and was part of a castle that no longer exists due to numerous attacks over the years. From its position it can be assumed that it was part of the castle's surveillance system. Its shape is that of a square plan, which is the result of continuous restoration work. Today you can visit freely and it is a place suitable for those who love nature.

In the 17th century, the Capuchin Monastery was built. In this same period, the Church of Suffrage and that of the Guardian Angel were also built.

The Park covers almost the entire southern slope of Valtellina with an altitude between 2000-3000m. The woods are different like deciduous and chestnut groves at lower altitudes and classic needles at just higher altitudes up to the alpine prairies rich in typical flora and in summer “crowded” of herds in the mountain pastures where the most delicious cheeses in Valtellina are born. As for the fauna, we can say that it is typical Alpine: deer, roe deer, ibex and also the populations of tetraonids, such as the Capercock, not surprisingly the symbol of the Park.

The Flavio Grazioli Mineralogical Museum is located in the municipality of Sondrio. It is one of the most important civic museums in Italy. It was established in 1991 to promote knowledge of the geological and mineralogical environment. The Museum exhibits a large collection of minerals, rich in more than 460 species and about 12,000 samples of minerals.

The Valtellina Museum of History and Art of Sondrio has been based since 1994 in the historic Palazzo Sassi de' Lavizzari, an austere sixteenth-century building donated by the owners to the Municipality in 1922 for cultural purposes. The collections of the Museum collect archaeological evidence from the prehistoric and Roman times and works able to offer an overview of the history of Valtellina art from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The Palace, the name of which comes from its owner Francesco Sassi de' Lavizzari, is a work from the middle of the 17th century. Since 1922 it passed into the hands of the Municipality of Sondrio and from that moment the palace is the seat of the Valtellina Museum of History and Art. Inside you can find prehistoric elements of local origin, and on the other hand a large section of collections of contemporary and modern art.

The Palazzo Sassi De Lavizzari was built in the sixteenth century. The building is named after the family that owned it. Francesco Sassi De Lavizzari, donated the building to the municipality, with the aim of being used for cultural reasons. In the building we find Roman archaeological works. Today the palace is home to the Valtellina Museum of History and Art. Inside you can find prehistoric elements of local origin, and a large collection of contemporary and modern art.

The Palazzo Pretorio presents a portal from the sixteenth century. In many rooms we can admire beautiful decorations, frescoes still intact, a beautiful courtyard with double loggia decorated with gray scratch and much more. Currently the Palazzo Pretorio is the seat of the City Hall of Sondrio.

The Ligarian Tower is located in the center of Sondrio and is both civic and bell tower of the Collegiate Church. The project was entrusted to the architect Pietro Ligari. The community was unable to deal with the expenses of the first design and asked the architect Ligari to develop simpler proposals. Today it is among the most visited monuments in the city.

The work on the completion of the construction of Casa Carbonera-Bosatta dates back to the 18th century. It was its owners, the Carbonera family, who commissioned its restoration, giving the building a new aspect or the current one. Its typical Baroque elements are quite remarkable throughout its structure, which also owns a tower, symbol of the power of the family.

Built in 1048, the castle was destroyed and rebuilt at the beginning of the 15th century with a military function for its important strategic position. Later, he went into inheritance to Beccaria undergoing a total reconstruction. At the end of the 90s, with the renovation of the castle, its high architectural quality was highlighted.

The traditional Piazza Campello in Sondrio, Valtellina, Lombardy, is home to beautiful buildings, churches and typical buildings that are worth a visit. Take a ride and admire the Collegiate S.S. Gervasio and Protasio and the beautiful Town Hall.

The Marlianici house in Sondrio, is located in Piazza Giovanni Gualzetti Battisti. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Church of the Guardian Angel. It is also not far from other points of interest such as: Palazzo Paribelli, Torre Civica, Valtellinese Museum Of History and Art, Palazzo Sertoli Guicciardi.

The portal to number 21 of Via Cavallotti is among the oldest among those present in the city. The coat of arms carved in the lintel belongs to the Ferrari di Montagna family, who settled in Valtellina in the second half of the fourteenth century.

The Martinengo Palace, dating back to the '500 and renovated in neoclassical style, before which stands an obelisk with four statues, was built in honor of Ferdinand I of Austria. The building has undergone renovations that changed its appearance numerous times. From 1859 to 1935 the building was destined as the headquarters of the Royal Prefecture, while currently houses the Permanent Exhibition of the Fulvio Grazioli Mineral Collection as well as the Municipal Historical Archive.

The Historical Museum Masegra Castle of Sondrio, Valtellina, Lombardia, tells, in its three halls, history and key moments of domination of the Grisons region of Switzerland (Swiss canton).

The magnificent building of Palazzo Quadrio is located in Via IV Novembre, Sondrio Lombardy, home to the important and interesting local public library Valtellinese Museum of History and Art. Moreover, visit the Diocesan Museum, which is inside.

This beautiful building of the XVIII century is situated in Sondrio, Valtellina, Lombardy, with interesting and fantastic traditional works done by local artists. Worth a visit.

This beautiful and elegant building of the XVI century, situated in the center of the city of Valtellina Sondrio, Lombardy, belonged to a traditional local family. Really beautiful, well worth a visit.

Palazzo Carbonera is located in a neighborhood, formerly known as a 'canton', which has existed since the Middle Ages and, since those times, it is crossed by the famous Via Valerian which has always represented the only western access to the city. The structure has preserved very precious architectural ornaments of the sixteenth century. On several doors and windows you can still notice the coat of arms of the Parravicini, although today the building is owned by the Carbonera, from which it takes its name.

Casa Lavizzari is a building dating back to the 17th century rich in well-kept artistic elements: the stone staircase, the arches, the larch wood door and the old frescoes of great historical importance and cultural. It is a three-storey building, from which you can easily notice the age of the construction itself, which represents one of the oldest buildings in the city.

The Chapel of Madonna Annunziata, known as Madonna della Rocca because the statue depicting the Virgin kneeling at a lectern holds the conocchia in his left hand (fortress in local dialect). The chapel was built in about 1713 and was to be part of a series of 15 chapels dedicated to the mysteries of the Rosary that were supposed to compose a sacred path along the Via Valerian and end at the church of Madonna della Sassella. The chapel has been recently restored.

The Foundation was established by Giuseppe Fojanini, in order to create a doctrinal center for local agricultural problems. It was started in 1971 and has always contributed so much in enhancing and promoting the activities of the first sector. Over the years, the processes related to the aforementioned activity have been improved. Today, at the foundation, there are several institutes linked to these purposes.

The Sanctuary of Sassella in Sondrio is a place of spiritual peace built around the tenth century after the apparition of Our Lady. Inside the sanctuary there are wonderful works of art to see and admire.

The Soltojo Tower has a very ancient origin. The structure dates back to the 13th century and was built by the Captains. Much of the tower was destroyed in the '600 and currently only part of the building is visible.

Eco museum Bagnada. The field of talc Bagnada was discovered in the late '20s from the quarries of Asbestos Limited Company (hereinafter Mining Valtellina). To fully understand the importance of this activity has played in the lives of villagers, leaving an indelible mark in the history, the landscape and the economy, just think of geological heterogeneity with its mineral wealth (asbestos and talc, soapstone and serpentinite) who made the Val Malenco - and they do, even today - a point of reference in the international arena.

The Basilica Madonna di Tirano has three naves, a Latin cross and is the most beautiful example of the Renaissance in Valtellina. Almost exaggerately rich in stuccoes and sculptures, it preserves, inside, a colossal organ, precious work of carving.

The castle of Santa Maria Diroccato is known as Castellaccio. So called by the homonymous church and hospital of which traces are found already in the twelfth century. While it is thought that the origins of the structure date back to the fifteenth century, since the time of Ludovico il Moro, who had greatly appreciated the excellent geographical position of the structure. The ruins of the castle and the tower have survived to the present day.