Valbrona: Hiking Trails, Church Art and Historical Traces

Hiking with clear starting points

The Corni di Canzo trekking route from Valbrona begins at Alpe Oneda at an altitude of 719 metres and ends at Rifugio SEV – Società Escursionisti Valmadreresi at 1,239 metres.

The Visino–Alpe di Megna circular route is 4.33 kilometres long and has 211 metres of elevation gain and 213 metres of descent. It is classified as an E-grade hiking trail and takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. Another hike to Monte Megna begins in the hamlet of Maisano, at the car park of the sports centre.

The recommended starting point for the route in Osigo is at one of the car parks on Via Monte Grappa in Valbrona. It can be reached via the SP46 from Oliveto Lario or by bus route C35 to the Via Veneto 21 stop.

Visino: Church, Art and Water Features

The Chiesa di San Michele stands on a hill on the edge of the hamlet of Visino. The rear entrance is accessed via a stone staircase. The location above the hamlet and the access described already give a visit to the church a clear spatial connection with Visino.

The first document attesting to the existence of the Chiesa di San Michele is the “Liber notitiae sanctorum mediolani” from the second half of the 13th century. The church therefore reaches back into a documented medieval history.

The polyptych by Ambrogio da Fossano (Bergognone), as well as other works of art from different periods, are preserved in the Chiesa di San Michele. These works were placed on deposit by the Pinacoteca di Brera.

The pond in Visino is equipped with water features, including an Archimedes’ screw. Thus, in the same hamlet, alongside the church and its art, there is also an illustrative example of the connection between water and technology.

Ancient Traces in Valbrona and Maisano

The Massi avelli of Valbrona are burial chambers carved into erratic blocks of granite, Serizzo, gneiss or serpentine. Their distinctive form directly connects this historical trace with the local rock and makes it an independent theme within the cultural landscape.

At the entrance to the old centre of Maisano, traces of an ancient torchio were rediscovered during the renovation of a rustico. This was a device frequently used in peasant culture and associated with oil and wine as historic agricultural products.

Peaks, Museums and Palaces in the Surrounding Area

The peaks of Monte Oriolo, Monte Colla and Monte Rai are located in the immediate vicinity of Valbrona. The mountain Cornizzolo is also nearby.

The Museo Moto Guzzi is a museum in the immediate vicinity of Valbrona. The Museo Etnografico Dell'Alta Brianza is a museum in the area around Valbrona. Both institutions expand the selection of cultural points of interest beyond the Chiesa di San Michele.

Two palaces are also located in the area around Valbrona: Palazzo Secchi is a palace in the surrounding area, as is Palazzo Belgioioso. Together with the museums, church artworks and historical traces in Valbrona and Maisano, they create a diverse cultural theme for planning your trip.

You can find more destinations for planning your trip to Italy at Corrido, Albavilla, Como, Piano Porlezza, Cavallasca, Albonico, Merone and Schignano.

Back to the higher-level travel overview: Como.