Valsassina - Valsassina

Valsassina

Location
State	Italy
Region	Lombardy
Capital	Barzio

Valsassina is a valley of the Lecco pre-Alps belonging to theItaly.

To know

Valley of glacial origin, it is a land of ancient villages, churches and convents, summer and winter tourism.

Geographical notes

From Ballabio, behind Lecco, is wedged in the Lecco mountains up to the ski resorts of Plans of Bobbio; it is bordered to the west by the relief of the majestic Grigne, to the east by the Bergamo Prealps. Crossed by the Pioverna which collects numerous other streams, it is a verdant valley surrounded by majestic peaks. The retreat of the glaciers has left moraine debris, areas that have distinguished it as valley of the stones, from which Valsassina.

When to go

Equipped for summer climatic tourism and winter skiing activities, the valley can be visited all year round.

Background

The Orobi were its first inhabitants, then the Insubri, the Gauls, the Romans, the Lombards. Subsequently the valley follows the history of Lecco, then to the Archbishopric of Milan until its feuding to the Torriani of Milan. Castles and fortifications are created throughout the valley, works that have disappeared to this day. After the Visconti took over, it was interested in the struggles between Milan and the expansionist aims of Venice, becoming a place of clashes. Once the Sforza family came to power and the Venetians were removed, trade flourished above all in the ferrous products of the valley. With the Spanish domination begins a period of crisis and also of wars and invasions - the Lanzichenecchi and the plague of 1629-30. The eighteenth century brought Austrian rule, with administrative reforms on the one hand and the decline of the iron mining industry. The Unit finds an impoverished valley dedicated almost exclusively to agriculture characterized by very fragmented and not very productive funds. From the agricultural world, dairy production will be born as an economic resource, reaching levels of excellence: born in the second half of the nineteenth century, in Ballabio the "Locatelli" (1860) and the "Galbani" (1880).

Territories and tourist destinations

Valsassina: full screen map.

Urban centers

Ballabio - Between Lecco and the mountains, Ballabio it is located at the mouth of the Valsassina and lives suspended between the attraction towards the mountains and the call of the Lario which here is called Lake Lecco. Mountaineering is practiced on the nearby Grigne; the herds are raised on the meadows to produce the famous cheeses of the area: taleggio, caprini, quartirolo, gorgonzola.
Barzio - It preserves the seventeenth-century building belonging to the family of Alessandro Manzoni, originally from the town. It was a privileged destination for nineteenth-century tourism.
Cremeno
Introbio - It preserves the remains of 11th century fortifications; in the past it was the administrative center of the valley. It rose to literary fame after Manzoni mentioned it in the Promessi Sposi as Agnese's country of origin.
Bushel - At 900 meters above sea level, the town is a destination for mainly family tourism, the one looking for quiet walks and excursions in the woods, with an eye to healthy eating with local products (especially cheeses), and to the uncontaminated environment .
Pasturo - Indicates in the name the richness of its pastures. which in the past favored the breeding of livestock. The town retains a historic center full of numerous rustic houses, with wooden loggias and portals decorated with noble coats of arms. On the mountains that surround it, the alpine huts are the point of arrival or departure for excursions among the peaks, even for rock climbers.
Premana - Village linked to the tradition of iron working. Numerous hiking trails start from here to mountain huts, mountain pastures and the Legnone, the highest mountain in the province and which divides Valsassina from Valtellina.
Primaluna
Taceno

Other destinations

Plans of Bobbio - Ski resort which, together with Valtorta and Artavaggio, constitutes the closest winter sports area to Milan. Connected with Barzio from a cable car with multiple cabins, the town is a destination for walks and excursions in summer. There are via ferratas on the Campelli Group. In winter, the ski area offers downhill slopes of varying degrees of difficulty, a cross-country ski track and a center equipped for skiers. There are also numerous mountain refuges at high altitude, as well as refreshment offers in bars and restaurants.

How to get

By plane

They are Lombard airports:

45.6661869.7018081 Bergamo-Orio al Serio Airport (the Caravaggio), Via Aeroporto 13, Orio al Serio, ☎ 39 035 326323.
45.638.7230562 Milan-Malpensa Airport (MXP), Ferno. The airport has two terminals (T1 and T2), the second is used for low cost flights. The bus service Motorway connects the airport with Milan central station in about 50 minutes, while the Malpensa Express it connects Terminal 1 with Cadorna station (red and green line underground) in 40 minutes. The buses of the Sadem is Motorway reach the city of Turin (2 hours), while the company Foxes make a few trips for Genoa (3 hours).
45.45029.277783 Milan-Linate airport, Viale Enrico Forlanini, ☎ 39 02 232323.
45.42555610.3269444 Brescia Airport (D'Annunzio), Via Aeroporto 34, Montichiari (Connections with Brescia airport are guaranteed by public transport via the bus. The stop a Brescia city is located at the bus station (number 23), while that of the airport is at the front of the terminal. There are also connections to the city of Verona via bus / shuttle line 1), ☎ 39 045 8095666, @[email protected]. Charter only