Chiavenna and its centuries-old palazzi

Chiavenna and its centuries-old palazzi make for the ultimate cultural visit. 

In Prosto di Piuro stands one of the most historic palaces in all of Valtellina: the 16th-century Palazzo Vertemate Franchi, set inside stunning grounds with a vineyard, orchard, vegetable gardens and quintessential Italian garden. Not to be missed: the ground floor Giunone room and the second-floor Zodiaco room.

Built by the Salis family, who originate from the Grisons, Palazzo Salis also deserves a special mention as one of Valchiavenna’s unmissable sites. 

Don’t leave Chiavenna without a visit to Palazzo Pestalozzi (known for its elegant, well-preserved soapstone architraves and windowsills), and the Palazzo Pretorio, now home to the town’s museum with a soapstone rendering of Chiavenna’s coat of arms. Also well worth a visit is ‘Il Castello’, once the seat of the Balbiani counts, former feudal lords of Chiavenna. The historic Palazzo Balbiani dates back pre–1477, but all that remains from the original architecture is façade and two towers after the rest was demolished during the occupation of the Grisons and reconstructed in 1930.