Discover Rota D'imagna

Rota D'imagna offers several specific options for planning your trip: historic churches and works of art, karst features including the Tomba dei Polacchi cave, and the ten-kilometre Percorso Vita for cycling and walking. Each has a distinct focus. The churches showcase architectural history and individual works of art; the cave features a stream and an archaeological find. The Percorso Vita is a cycling and walking route with equipped picnic areas, parking and rest stops. This lets you decide whether you would prefer to plan your stay around culture, nature or physical activity.

Churches and architecture

The Chiesa di San Gottardo in the hamlet of Rota Dentro was built in 1496. Its façade is distinguished by pilasters made of stone from Berbenno. An altarpiece depicts Saint Gotthard; it is attributed to Carlo Ceresa and dated to 1679. This building brings together a construction date, a specifically identified façade material and a dated work of art. The combination of an architectural detail and an altarpiece offers two different perspectives on the church.

The Chiesa di San Siro has a different focus on architectural history and furnishings. Construction began in 1724 and was completed in 1765. The elegant portico is attributed to Giacomo Quarenghi. Inside, the church preserves a small sculpture of Saint Anne and the Virgin dating from the 14th or 15th century, as well as a baptismal font from 1614. These objects are dated in different ways: the sculpture dates from the 14th or 15th century, while the baptismal font is from a specific year. The portico and building history add further features to the works of art, helping you put San Siro into context.

Another architectural point of interest is the Casa Natale di Giacomo Quarenghi in the hamlet of Cà Piatone. The house was built in 1600 and contains a small chapel. Thus, alongside the churches, there is a house with its own religious space; the chapel offers a different emphasis from a portico, altarpiece or baptismal font. When comparing the cultural sites, the Casa Natale broadens the focus beyond churches to another building with a historic date.

Karst and cave visits

Within the Valle Imagna, Rota D'imagna is one of the areas with a particularly high concentration of karst features. One specific example is the Tomba dei Polacchi: the cave extends for more than 400 metres, and a stream flows through its innermost section. A ceramic vessel was found at the foot of a stalagmite. The cave’s size, watercourse and archaeological find provide different, complementary aspects of the site. It can be visited with support from the Gruppo Speleologico Valle Imagna. If you plan a visit, check with the group in advance to see whether support is available on your chosen date.

Exploring the Percorso Vita

For physical activity, the Percorso Vita offers an alternative to visiting the churches or the cave. The 10 km cycling and walking route starts in Selino Basso, near Sant’Omobono Terme, and passes through the area of Rota D'imagna. There are parking and rest stops along the Percorso Vita, and the route also has equipped picnic areas. These provide specific points to consider when planning: support from the speleological group is relevant for the cave, while the Percorso Vita’s length and picnic and rest facilities are the main considerations. You can treat the cultural sites, the cave visit and the route as distinct options rather than as one single offering.

Discover more destinations: Endine, Romano Di Lombardia, Mezzoldo, Ornica, Bagnatica, Clanezzo, Borgo Di Terzo, Sant'Erasmo.

For the wider travel overview: Bergamo.