Itinerary along the Calepio Valley
The path/Der Weg
The route starts at Sarnico, an important commercial and tourist centre that still has visible traces of mediaeval urban architecture: portals, arches, narrow streets, ancient towers, the church of San Paolo with frescoes dating back to the fifteenth century. The eighteenth-century parish church is dedicated to San Martino de Tours and hosts works by important artists; Art Nouveau enthusiasts can admire three villas, the mausoleum and the Asylum facade, by the architect Sommaruga. Leaving the lakeside promenade, you head towards Viale Orgnieri taking Via Manzoni that overlooks the river Oglio; you then pass through the picturesque Fosio with its dam, ancient houses and the seventeenth-century mill. The road then climbs steeply taking you back to Villongo. You then reach Villongo, located at the beginning of the Valle del Guerna, where is the Parish of the Holy Trinity with a renowned statue of Madonna del Fantoni, the Romanesque church of St. Alexander and frescoes by Romanino in the Bonduri Residence. From here, follow the signs for Adrara San Martino, where majestic and silent churches and shrines dominate the valley. It’s worth stopping off at the historic Sant’Alessandro in Canzanica, a national monument since 1967. When you reach the village centre, turn left towards Foresto Sparso, renowned for its horticultural activities, in order to reach Colle di San Giovanni delle Formiche, with the sanctuary bearing the same name. Now go back to Foresto Sparso and passing by Villongo, you arrive in Gandosso, where is the Santuario Madonna del Castello. After travelling through a stunning hilly landscape covered in vineyards, you, then in Grumello del Monte, an important location on the “Road of wines and flavours of Valcalepio” itinerary, where you shouldn’t miss a visit to the castle, ancient fortress of the Gonzagas. Going back to the lake you pass through Castelli Calepio and its beautiful Castello dei Conti Calepio, within the little medieval village. The next stop is Credaro. Take a stop to visit the Romanesque churches of San Fermo and San Giorgio, and the medieval citadel Castel Trebecco. The road descends as far as Castione of Sarnico, where the tour ends in the small church of SS Nazario and Rocco, which preserves frescoes of inestimable value, some dating back to the eleventh century.
DE – Die Reiseroute startet in Sarnico, in dessen Stadtzentrum man mittelalterliche Portale, Torbögen, Gassen und Türme bewundern kann. Es gibt auch einige architektonische Werke des Jugendstils. Wenn man die Uferpromenade in Richtung Viale Orgnieri verlässt, nimmt man Via Manzoni und überquert den Ortsteil Fosio, wo sich ein Damm und eine Mühle aus dem 17.Jahrhundert befinden. Die Straße läuft steil nach Villongo, am Anfang des Valle del Guerna. Die Pfarrkirche SS. Trinità und die kleine Kirche Sant’Alessandro sind die wichtigsten Sehenswürdigkeiten. Man folgt dann den Schildern nach Adrara S. Martino. Eine Pause beim historischen Ortskern Sant’Alessandro in Canzanica, das seit 1967 nationales Monument ist, ist empfehlenswert. Im Zentrum von Adrara S. Martino biegt man links in Richtung Foresto Sparso ab und kommt auf der Hügel S. Giovanni delle Formiche an, mit der gleichnamigen Wallfahrtskirche. Auf der Weiterfahrt sieht man Gandosso, mit der Wallfahrtskirche Madonna del Castello, und dann Grumello del Monte, eine wichtige Etappe der „Strada dei Vini e dei Sapori della Valcalepio“ („Straße der Weine und des Geschmacks des Valcalepio“). Man fährt weiter in Richtung See und kommt in Castel de’ Conti an, eine mittelalterliche Ortschaft der Gemeinde Castelli Calepio, und dann in Credaro, wo sich die romanischen Kirchen S. Fermo und S. Giorgio und die mittelalterliche Zitadelle Castel Trebecco befinden. Die Straße führt nach unten und man erreicht endlich die Ortschaft Castione von Sarnico. Dort sind in der kleinen Kirche SS. Nazario e Rocco Fresken eines unschätzbaren Wertes erhalten.
How to arrive and where to park/Anreise und Parkplatz
Follow the direction towards Lake Iseo and then Sarnico.
Possibility of parking in Piazza XX Settembre with an hourly rate. Nearby there are other car parks with free parking: Car park near the cemetery (Corso Europa) and car park near the schools (Via Cortivo).
DE – Folgen Sie die Richtung zum Iseosee und dann nach Sarnico.
Parkmöglichkeit auf der Piazza XX Settembre zum Stundentarif. In der Nähe gibt es weitere Parkplätze mit kostenlosem Parken: Parkplatz in der Nähe des Friedhofs (Corso Europa) und Parkplatz in der Nähe der Schulen (Via Cortivo).
DETAILS
- Duration: 4 h 30 min
- Distance: 46 km
- Difference in height: + 993 m
- Starting point: Piazza XX Settembre, Sarnico
- Arrival point: Piazza XX Settembre, Sarnico
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