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Chiavenna

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Visit Chiavenna

Chiavenna is situated north of Lake Como in the Lombardy Lakes region of northern Italy.

The old town in Chiavenna has preserved its medieval characteristics, with narrow streets, palaces and squares with fountains, towers and churches such as the Collegiate Church of St. Lawrence

Collegiate Church of St. Lawrence: This church, probably founded in the fifth century, then expanded and renewed several times, still today preserves its Romanesque style plan. The arcade was built in the late 17th century to mark the cemetery and to create a space for processions. Overlooking the collegiate church is the 16th century bell tower; above the lintel of the portal there is the emblem of Chiavenna City. From the porch we enter the baptistery; the font was built from a single block of soapstone, dating to 1156; it is decorated with a relief that describes the ceremony of Holy Saturday. In the set of St. Laurence, the Treasury Museum keeps a vast set of vestments and church ornaments, wooden statues of the XV and XVI century, a rare musical code of the eleventh century and the so-called “Peace of Chiavenna”, covered gospels of XI-XII century, embossed in gold filigree, gemstones, pearls and enamel, a masterpiece of medieval jewellery.

Continuing along Via Picchi you reach the Piazza Castello which was built in 1477 and destroyed fifty years later. Only in 1930 was it rebuilt, saving the outer walls with the two towers. To the left of the palace, the Via Quadrio brings us to the archaeological botanist park called "Paradise", including the hills of Paradise and the Belvedere, with sections for archaeology and botany, and where there is the so-called "Caurga", an ancient soapstone quarry, used to produce the 'Laveggi' (pots) worked with the lathe, and to create architectural elements such as portals, adorned with inscriptions and coats of arms, similar to that of  the Palazzo Salis (a XVII century building, in the ‘Dolzino’ Street, and also known by the name of Ludovico Castelvetro [1505-1571], after a well known philologist and literary critic).

Another park in Chiavenna is called 'Marmitte dei Giganti' ["Giant Pots"], which presents thousands of years of erosion, by ancient glaciers, with smooth rocks, furrows, basins, but especially the "Giant Pots", or some deep wells drilled more than 10,000 years ago in the rock by the water from glaciers. The area presents some landscapes of particular beauty and  a considerable variety of vegetation. Numerous and easily walkable, the paths and trails that wind in the natural reserve are equipped with rest areas.

The waterfalls of the “Acqua Fraggia” in the village of 'Prosto di Piuro' are a true natural monument. Worth visiting also is the Vertemate Palace, a 16th century villa, rich in frescoes and inlaid woodwork, now a Civic Museum and, in Borgonuovo, the local museum exhibits some finds from this ancient and flourishing village.

Eating out in Chiavenna

Your long walk through Chiavenna should end with a gastronomic break! Chiavenna can certainly be considered a destination for lovers of good food. The town is famous for its “Crotti”, some special cellars dug into the deposits of ancient landslides and leaning against fallen boulders, known as “Sorei”. The peculiarity of these cellars is the constant temperature, about eight degrees Celsius throughout the year.

However, the "Crotti" are not just basements or storage of goods, but real meeting places and gourmet restaurants. try perhaps the chestnut dumplings cooked in chicken broth, and polenta in all its variants; or the so-called "rustiment de Mees", a "poor" dish, consisting of cold “polenta”,  boiled potatoes into pieces, vegetables and cubes of cheese and salami. There is also a soup of cornmeal served with hot milk, called "melònz" or "zèmola" and, finally, also worthy of consideration are the "strozzaprevet" [“Strangle-priest”], the "gnoch de pan", the unique soup of black cherry, game cooked with the “piòta in beola” or the "Laveggio" soapstone. Among the cheeses try the magnòca, a low-fat cheese needing a quick maturing and used to prepare dishes such as the so-called “polenta ‘taragna’.

See also history of Chiavenna