Sant'Antonio: Carena and the History of Ironworking

If you're looking for a hotel in Sant'Antonio, Carena's points of interest can help you choose a destination that fits your travel plans: the history of ironworking, sacred art, and routes through the Val Morobbia each offer a different focus. The sites and routes can be chosen according to whether you're especially interested in historic structures, architecture, or outdoor activities.

Sacred art and historic architecture

The Oratorio di San Bernardino in Carena is a small rectangular building with a cross-vaulted choir and a bell tower adjoining the main façade. The stucco altar dates from the 17th century. The oratory also features a Way of the Cross made up of 14 wooden panels donated by the artist Gottfried Müller. The building, altar, and panels each contribute a distinct element to the religious heritage.

Traces of ironworking in Carena

Carena's former ironworks building, Cà dal fer, is still standing. Giovanni Bruni and his business partners built it in 1792/93; it served as a manor house and housed the ironworks' offices. The pre-industrial Maglio e Forno di Carena complex included a blast furnace and a hammer mill, workers' accommodation, coal stores, forges, and metalworking rooms. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Maglio employed between 80 and 100 workers. In 1813, the ironworks' furnace was the only one of its kind in Ticino.

The history of ore processing can also be traced across different sites. Corte del forno is where the Muggiasca company processed iron ore in the 15th century. The mines of the Valletta were worked from the Middle Ages until the first half of the 19th century. The ruins of the Maglio e Forno complex have been excavated, consolidated, and restored; in 1999, the old furnace and other remains came to light. A bronze statue in Piazza della Via del Ferro depicts the former work of the women and men who mined and processed iron ore in the upper valley.

Piazza della Via del Ferro is considered the starting point of the Via del Ferro; its first themed information panel is also located there. The Maglio e Forno di Carena site has themed interpretation panels. Guided tours of the complex are generally organized year-round, but specific dates and booking arrangements may vary. The interior of the Valletta mines can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Confirm the arrangements for each tour in advance.

Commemorative heritage and routes

The military presence in the Val Morobbia left commemorative plaques and frescoes on houses in Carena. Between 1939 and 1945, the artist Carlo Campelli created three frescoes and sixteen commemorative plaques in Carena. A separate route to note is a themed route developed by the ForTI project: it starts in Carena and follows military buildings and fortifications from the First World War towards San Jorio and the Gesero hut.

The Via del Ferro offers a different focus. It passes through the alpine surroundings of Alpe Giumello and a rare mountain pine forest before reaching the woodland of Giggio. The ancient mule track to San Jorio also crosses the area of Corte del forno. At 958 metres above sea level, Carena is the endpoint of an e-bike tour through the Val Morobbia. On the Valle Morobbia Bike route, the trail leaves the paved road near Carena and follows a single track through a chestnut grove to Monti Paudo.

Alpe Giumello and seasonal visits

At Alpe Giumello, the dairy produces Giumello DOP cheese. Visits can be arranged with the Azienda Agraria Cantonale di Mezzana; seasonal access runs from mid-June to mid-September. Arrange your visit before travelling. Together, the different routes offer a choice of distinct interests: ironworking and its historic sites, places of remembrance, sacred art, or trails through the alpine landscape.

Discover more destinations: Gorduno, Cadenazzo, Isone, Sementina, Gnosca, Carasso, Lumino Ti, Arbedo-Castione.

For the broader travel overview: Bellinzona.