Sondrio is a beautiful city of northern Lombardy at the confluence of the Adda river and the Mallero stream and at the entrance of the picturesque Valmalenco where the wonderful Valtellina spread all its beauty on the slopes of the Alpine massifs in the immense, magnificent surface of the extraordinary Stelvio National Park, which includes six Nature Reserves.
Centre of ancient origins linked to Celtic and Roman settlements and subsequently a strategic base in the Middle Ages, Sondrio is now an important commercial hub between Lombardy and Switzerland and known for its cultural, artistic and monumental heritage as well as great gastronomic traditions.
I suggest to start your visit from the central Piazza Garibaldi, a wide urban space surrounded by fascinating 19th century buildings with wonderful views on the horizon of the majestic glaciers of the Italian-Swiss Alps, imposing rocky spurs overlooking the Mallero stream and the beautiful image of the numerous vineyards in rows lined up on gentle hillsides.
A short distance from Galleria Campiello, the city's bustling shopping center, in this very attractive square you can admire a bronze statue depicting "the hero of the two worlds", the Nice condottiere Giuseppe Garibaldi, a work made by the sculptor Confalonieri, the famous Pedretti Theater built in 1821 and the refined Palazzo Martinenghi.
In front of the latter you can stop in front of the obelisk made by Giuseppe Croff, a monument consisting of four statues erected in honor of Ferdinand I of Austria for the support he gave to Sondrio after the flood of the Mallero in 1834 ordering the reconstruction of the banks of the stream.
Afterwards you will be able to admire the elegant Casa Lambertenghi, the well-known Post Office Hotel dating back to the 19th century with the building that houses the Bank of Italy nearby.
Continue along the course of the Mallero crossing a small bridge and you will enter in the Baiacca, a picturesque village developed by the noble governors reaching Piazza Carbonera where stands the Palace of the same name.
It is a refined 17th century building with beautiful columns decorated with Renaissance capitals placed in ornate loggias that constitute a magnificent portico with three pointed arches.
In a short walk you can enter in the charming Contrada Cantone where there are some of the oldest local noble residences, namely Casa Sertoli and Casa Romegiall.
In that point you can cross the Mallero again reaching Via Fracaiolo, a historic road on which in 1325 the defensive city walls were built by the Guelph Capitanei to protect Sondrio from the incursions of the Ghibelline Rusconi of Como.
In that place you can see the ancient stone washhouse used by housewives since ancient times to wash clothes and the remains of the wheels of the hammers that represented for a long time the major economic activity of Sondriese.
Continue towards “Piazza Vecchia" today known as Piazza Cavour where the Salita Ligari is located, it is a path with an ascending staircase on which you will see the house of the artist Gian Pietro Ligari in which he spent the last years of his life.
From there you can reach the iconic Masegra Castle restored in the 16th century, a fortress that was a fief of noble families such as Capitanei and the Graubünden Salis.
Continuing along Via San Siro you will the beautiful Chiesa dell’ Angelo della Guardia built next to the destroyed Church of San Siro which, according to a famous legend, was a place where it is said that the Witches celebrated the rite of the Sabbath, a reason that led the clergy to demolish it.
Passing through Via Lavizzari you will enter the suggestive Piazza Quadrivio where the presence of some historic aristocratic palaces such as Palazzo Paribelli, Palazzo Sertoli and Palazzo Giaccone stands out, as well as a picturesque circular fountain of the 800.
A short distance away, in Via Quadrio, stands the beautiful Palazzo Sassi de' Lavizzari, which houses the well-known Valtellina Museum of History and Art and worth a visit to discover the history of the territory in a splendid journey to know in a step by step also the chronological artistic highlights of the Sondrio and Valtellina.
Time for your lunch and Sondrio offers a fantastic gastronomy. You can start with mixed appetizer based on Bresaola, Bacon and Grilled Vegetables, among the first traditional courses between Pumpkin Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms or Homemade Pizzoccheri.
Among the second courses you can opt for Venison Stew with Slice of Polenta Taragna or Pork Ribs with Beans and Stewed Peas, Valtellina is a land of superb wines such as Sassella, Inferno, Grumello, Maroggia, Valgella so you can taste these authentic masterpieces.
After your delicious lunch retake Via Quadrio which is also a passage to the fascinating Piazza Campello where the beautiful Collegiate Church of Saints Gervasio and Protaso is located, erected in 1300 next to the 20th century Ligariana Tower which is part of the ecclesiastical complex.
Nearby you can stop in front of the beautiful Praetorian Palace built in 1200 although widely launched in the sixteenth century and now the Municipal Headquarters.
Along the nearby Via Scarparetti you can enjoy one of the most rustic and authentic corners of the old Sondrio, with its cobblestone floor, arched walls, rural stone houses, barns, characteristic taverns and three small votive chapels dedicated to the Madonna near the surrounding vineyards that are a wonderful natural setting for this very suggestive place.
From here you can descend towards a garden where you will find Villa Quadrio and the Municipal Library dedicated to Pio Rajna , a well-known philologist from Valtellina, and then you will reach the beautiful Church of San Rocco dating back to the 16th century, erected as a thanksgiving for the plague that escaped in 1513.
Visiting Sondrio is a splendid experience, this splendid Valtellina' s gateway is a very captivating and attractive city with many architectural contrasts enlivened by breathtaking alpine landscapes and this center will certainly remain in your happy and pleasant memories.
Link : https://www.visitasondrio.it/site/en/home/discover/the-city.html
Where to Stay | Recommeded Hotels
Grand Hotel della Posta - https://www.grandhoteldellaposta.eu/
Hotel Campelli - https://www.campelli.it
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Thanks a lot to read and note.