Samolaco: Culture, Crotti and Historic Trails

Samolaco’s history is reflected in many different ways: the Museo Etnografico Culumbée, also known as the Museo di Samolaco, displays numerous objects from the community’s daily life in past eras. Churches, rural architecture, old village centres and historic routes add to this picture.

Churches and Traditional Village Scenes

The bell tower of Sant’Andrea dates from 1735 and is about 30 metres high. The church preserves paintings attributed to the school of Ferrari, as well as a cycle depicting the martyrdom of Saint Andrew by Giovan Battista Macolino, dated 1632. The two dates refer to different details: 1735 to the tower and 1632 to the painted cycle.

The church dedicated to Saint Francis in Paiedo dates from the early 17th century. It also houses a reliquary of Saint Placidus, donated in 1688 by emigrants living in Rome. The older buildings in Paiedo stand out for their stone construction, roofs made of piòte and distinctive wooden external balconies known as lòbie. The local terms therefore distinguish between the roof and the balcony. The traditional layout is well preserved in the old village centre of Casenda.

Historic Trails and Routes

Eight local routes are numbered from north to south; the historic Via Francisca and Via Crucis also run through the area. Samolaco’s historic trails have been restored and signposted. A specific walking time is given for the route from San Pietro via Ca Pipéta to the Torre di Segname: it has an elevation gain of 400 metres and takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to walk. The elevation gain describes the ascent, while the walking time indicates the time required.

The Via Crucis S. Andrea starts in Era and passes through the old village centre of Cuéta, where the houses are built close together. The trail runs through chestnut woods and crosses the Via Francisca behind Era’s old village centre. This historic route leads from Chiavenna via Mese, Gordona and Samolaco to San Fedelino. It was mentioned by this name in the Liber magnum of the Statutes of Como in 1335; it may have been known as early as Roman times.

The Via dei Crotti follows a mule track through chestnut groves and some vineyards towards Monastero and Santa Teresa. This route combines a trail with a landscape of woodland and vineyards. Those choosing routes by their character can distinguish this trail from the historic routes mentioned above and from the route with a specified walking time.

Crotti and Local Traditions

The Crotti of Samolaco are natural cellars with very cool conditions and a nearly constant temperature throughout the year. At the Crotti of San Pietro, there is a tradition of sharing wine from terracotta jugs, accompanied by Alpine cheese and local salami. Traditionally, the entire population visited the Crotti on Easter Monday and on 29 June, the feast of Saint Peter.

In Paiedo, the feast of Saint Placidus is celebrated in early May and in September with music, dancing and tastings of typical foods. If you would like to plan your trip around the festival, check the exact dates for your travel year.

The Surrounding Landscape

The wider regional setting offers another perspective: the mountain areas of the Monti di Samolaco lie in the Bassa Valchiavenna. There are also cycling paths and a network of trails leading to alpine valleys. This makes it possible to distinguish Samolaco’s local cultural sites and routes from the region’s broader landscape and trail offerings.

Discover more destinations: Grosio, Corna, Civo, Bianzone, Campo, Oga, Cedrasco, Maroggia

For the main travel overview: Sondrio.