Valsolda Tour May 17, 2026: villages, art churches, and views of Lake Ceresio

Description

The return Valsolda Tour: Sunday May 17, 2026 at o'clock 14:00, starting from the Loggio Schools, the tourist guide Brian Subinaghi accompany a group to discover one of the most beautiful routes in the Lake Ceresio. Approximately 5.3 kilometers along historic mule tracks, stone villages, and waterfront views, with an elevation gain of 300 meters and a duration of approximately four hours.

An open-air museum

The route passes through the hamlets of Loggio, Puria, Castello, and San Mamete—a thread that unites the most authentic souls of Valsolda, connected by paths that were once everyday streets. In each village, there's a church worth a visit: buildings constructed and decorated by Valsolda artists who worked throughout Europe and who left some of their most significant works here, just steps from home.

In Loggio, on a hill reachable only on foot, there is the Church of San Bartolomeo, founded in 1362 and rebuilt in Baroque style from 1671 based on a design by the architect Bua da Osteno. The interior houses the Triumph of the Eucharist by Giovanni Battista Pozzo—inspired by a sketch by Rubens—and the 1760 canvas of the Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew by Tommaso Bellotti da San Mamete.

In Puria you reach the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, redesigned in 1594 likely according to the instructions of Pellegrino Tibaldi, born in this village in 1527 and later trusted architect to Charles Borromeo and Philip II of Spain. The octagonal dome was decorated by the four Pozzo brothers, known as "Belée." On the south façade, a fresco of the dead Christ supported by three angels is attributed to Tibaldi himself.

In Castello the stage is the Church of San Martino, whose origins date back to the Lombard era. The Pozzo brothers frescoed the presbytery between 1590 and 1600; in 1697, Paolo Pagani—a native of the village, active in Bohemia, Poland, and Moravia—painted the vault with the Assumption of Mary at his own expense and out of devotion, directly onto the plaster, without preparatory drawings. It is for this fresco that the church is known as the "Lombard Sistine Chapel.".

The path finally descends towards the lake, up to the Church of Saints Mamete and Agapito in San Mamete: the oldest in Valsolda, documented for the first time in 932 AD and the mother church of the entire valley since 1540. Inside, a Gothic fresco from 1390, works by Carlo Pozzo and Salvatore Pozzo da Puria, and a 15th-century tabernacle in the style of Andrea Bregno da Osteno coexist.

The guide

Brian Subinaghi leads these tours with the expertise of someone who studies and lives the area. A historian and expert in local art, he transforms a walk into a story: every village has a story, every church a surprising detail.

What to bring

The route follows mule tracks and mountain paths: to tackle it safely, appropriate equipment is required.

• FootwearHiking shoes with non-slip soles. Urban sneakers or smooth shoes are not recommended.
• Clothing: layered, with a spare rain or wind jacket. A hat and sunglasses on clear days.
• Water and snack: water bottle with at least half a liter of water and a light snack (dried fruit, bar, sandwich) to carry in your backpack.

⚠️ In case of bad weather, the excursion will be canceled. Confirmation or cancellation will be communicated via WhatsApp to registered participants by the morning of Sunday, May 17th.