Discover Sessa: Churches, Museum and Gold Mining

Sessa lies on the foothills below Monte Lema; its slopes descend towards the Tresa River. The village brings together striking churches and a museum devoted to rural culture with the history of gold mining. This gives you a choice of different focuses for planning your trip: architecture, local crafts, mining history and a themed hiking trail. Use these themes to decide what you would like to explore during your stay.

Churches and Architectural History in Sessa

A historic route in Sessa is characterised by notably harmonious rows of buildings, including significant public and private buildings. Historic sights also include a tribunal palace. The striking Renaissance façade of the Chiesa di S. Orsola stands out: it is made of stone blocks in different colours and bears the Bianchi coat of arms; niches contain statues of Saints Sebastian and Francis. Sant’Orsola is a Renaissance church. Its main altar is decorated with stucco and crowned by an altarpiece depicting Saint Ursula. The façade is considered a rare architectural feature.

Santa Maria is a medieval chapel. The parish church, Prepositurale, has a wooden main altar regarded as a representative work of Lombard Baroque. The granite portal and a mosaic by Aurelio Gonzato are among the distinctive features of the Chiesa di S. Martino. The 1958 mosaic depicts Saint Martin on horseback. Its main altar features a richly decorated tabernacle by Antonio Pini of Bellagio, dating from 1670.

The Piccolo Museo and Local Everyday Culture

The Piccolo Museo di Sessa e Monteggio is an ethnographic museum devoted to local rural culture. Its permanent exhibition, “L'arte del fare - i mestée d'una volta”, includes tools used by local farmers and in crafts practised in the past. Materials also illustrate the cultivation of fields for grain, potatoes and maize. Themed exhibitions focus on woodworking, as well as wool, hemp and silk; periodic special exhibitions explore local history.

A dairy room displays equipment once used to turn milk into cheese and butter. The museum also includes a cobbler’s workshop that remained in operation until the 1950s. Agriculture, food processing and crafts are brought to life through tangible objects. Visits to the Piccolo Museo di Sessa are by appointment only, so arrange your visit in advance.

Gold Mining and Visiting the Mine

The earliest documented attempts at gold mining in the Sessa area date back to 1785. Remains of Roman-era gold mining may lie on the banks of the Lisora River. The Miniera d’Oro di Sessa also makes mining history a focus for visitors: the 375-metre-long Leonilde tunnel is open to the public. The first stage of a mining trail leads to the mine, where visitors can experience the history of the miners of the past two centuries.

The temperature in the mine remains a constant 11 to 12 °C. Because the ground is damp, entry is permitted only in suitable footwear, such as boots or hiking shoes; warm clothing is recommended. Check the mine’s visitor information before your visit and take the footwear requirement into account when preparing.

The Sentiero dell’Acqua Ripensata

Sessa and Monteggio jointly created the Sentiero dell’Acqua Ripensata. This themed hiking trail runs through an area on both sides of the Pevereggia stream and connects traces of nature and history. It passes through the protected area of le Bolle, considered a nature reserve of significance, with diverse animal and plant life. Please observe the local conservation rules there.

A route description dated 21 April 2025 gives the trail’s length as 8.5 kilometres, its duration as 2.5 hours and its physical difficulty as moderate; it describes the trail as accessible year-round. The Sentiero is accessible by postal bus. If you plan to travel this way, check the timetable for your travel date. This lets you consider the cultural and historical sites, the mine visit and the hike as different options when planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Origlio, Savosa, Massagno, Lugaggia, Comano Ti, Barbengo, Pura Ti, Melano.

For the main travel overview: Lugano.