Sondrio (307 m a.s.l.) is the capital city of the province
and lies on the valley bottom, at the right centre of Valtellina. Raise your
eyes on the Rhaetian hill slope, towards the Grumello and the Sassella, and
enjoy the one-of-a-kind spectacular view traced by the terraced vineyards. The
noble vine variety “Nebbiolo of the Alps” is cultivated here to produce the
excellent Docg, Doc and Igt wines. Sondrio is a Longobard town, its oldest name
was Sundrium, which means “a land kept and cultivated directly by the owner”. It
firstly belonged to the town of Como, but in 1040 Henry III of Franconia gave
the parish church of Sondrio to the family of the Capitanei, which erected the Castle
of S. Giorgio (the today monastery of S. Lorenzo) and the Castel of Masegra
that nowa days hosts the headquarters of Lombardy Alpine Guides. Take your time
to visit “Scarpatetti”, the oldest part of the city, the collegiate church of
the Saints Gervasio and Protasio (XVIII c. but founded in the Fourteenth
Century), the church of S. Rocco (XVI c.), the Palazzo Pretorio (XVI c.), the Carbonera
house (XV-XVI c.), the Palazzo Sassi De Lavizzari (XVII c. – seat of the Museo
Valtellinese di Storia e Arte), the Palazzo Sertoli (XVIII c.), the Palazzo
Carbonera (XVII c.), the Palazzo of the Province (1932/35) by G. Muzio with the
encaustic paintings by Gianfilippo Usellini and the fifteenth-century Sanctuary
of the Madonna della Sassella. Sondrio was elected City of the Alps and has
been declared a “City of Wine”: do not
miss the events "Calici di Stelle" (Stem Glasses of Stars) on San
Lorenzo’s night (11th August) and “Sondrio Festival” in October, the
annual international documentary-film exhibition on natural parks. Last but not
least many routes and trails start from Sondrio, such as the Sentiero
Valtellina and the enchanting Via dei
Terrazzamenti, all to be covered by bike to the discovery of the valley bottom
and the halfway mountain slope. The Valtellina Rent-a-Bike service is always at
your disposal too.
Info: www.sondrioevalmalenco.it / www.comune.sondrio.it
