Rural architecture in Valtellina

Scattered across the whole province, you’ll find historic shelters, homes and habitable hideaways that bear witness to centuries past and demonstrate our great ability to adapt to conditions and turn them in our favour. Here are Valtellina’s pieces of must-see rural architecture.

.Just outside of Tirano sits a small rural village called Sernio, where its  “baitei” are a surprising tourist gem – see here for more info. Created by the smart-thinking population, these circular, dome-shaped constructions are believed to go back to the 15th century BC and served the purpose of providing shelter,  conserving food, and offering storage for tools.
Well preserved over recent decades, a visit to Sernio and its little collection of baitei opens your eyes to a charming part of local history, where people lived and retreated.  

In this steep-sided valley, more than 2,500 km of dry-stone walls are tangible proof of how much wine production and crop-growing has taken place over the years. Lining the Rhaetian Alps side of the province, these terraces have enabled the population to grow and harvest grapes on the steep gradients for generations—an activity that still flourishes today. This functional art form has been recognised globally and declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

The historic Mulino Menaglio in Teglio is one of Valtellina’s finest water mills, having been carefully restored by local associations. While no longer operational, the mill in San Rocco whisks visitors back in time with genuine artefacts and exhibition spaces that tell the story of buckwheat, rye and other flour production.
Up in Aprica, the Mulino dei Plaz is in the process of being restored. As a museum it recounts how the locals carried out the milling of ancient grains grown here in the mountains. Elsewhere, take a walk in the woods around Castello dell’Acqua to take in the restored former mill and mortar in Cà dell’Albert, which is open to tourists and educational groups.

Bormio’s Mulino Salacrist, which now houses an exhibition space, is a must for anyone with an interest in medieval milling techniques.

The old worker’s neighbourhood of Scarpatetti in Sondrio is viewable in a short walk across the town, taking in beautifully preserved wooden features on rural homes decorated with coats of arms, lamps and flowers to create a truly Instagrammable district.

The Crotti in Valchiavenna are age-old natural caves that benefit from a natural breeze known as ‘sorel’. This daily wind has long ensured a consistent temperature all year to best preserve the area’s wine, meat and cheese. Now part of Valchiavenna’s social fabric, the crotti are where you’ll go to tap into a connection with the finest food and wine from the region. Each September there’s a festival dedicated to the Crotti and other local traditions. See more here: https://www.sagradeicrotti.it/what-is-crotto/

In the mountainous valley behind Morbegno, Valgerola is home to “calècc”, which are the area’s signature-style shelters that have long existed on high-altitude meadows for preparing the iconic local Bitto cheese over a fire. They’re made with dry-stone walls and a waterproof tarp-style roof held up by poles.

You’ll find many communal public washhouses around Morbegno and its surrounding villages, which were typically where women of the family would gather to do laundry. Each huge stone sink is truly unique and made by local craftspeople many years ago. In Civo, which has a high density of public washhouses, they’ve been carefully surveyed and restored by the local council and Fondazione Cariplo.

Stone and wood constructions known as “Càrden” were once the norm for rural life in Valchiavenna, which you can explore along the waymarked Vie dei Càrden trail that introduces you to how people lived and dressed in the past. Elsewhere in the valley, Bormio’s bàite and Livigno’s Tee are further examples of countryside dwellings. These feature stone ground floors and wooden uppers, housing a stue and cellar inside. Follow our advice and see these interesting-looking ancient residences up close in Madonna dei Monti, Niblogo and Plàzzola.