A walk in Giornico

Giornico, thanks to its remarkable historical and cultural heritage, is a true open-air museum and one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland. The Church dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Bari, commonly called San Nicolao – built in the 12th century and documented in 1202 by a parchment from the parish archive of Chironico – is considered one of the best examples of Lombard Romanesque architecture in the Canton of Ticino.

Also interesting are the other 6 churches, among which two of the oldest, Santa Maria del Castello and San Pellegrino. Access to these two buildings has become easier thanks to the “Keys of Culture” application (www.chiavicultura.ch).

In Giornico there are also several old houses such as the so-called “Degli Stanga” with its interesting frescoes on the facade. The house is home to the Leventina Museum. Worth visiting as well is La Congiunta, a reinforced concrete building by architect Peter Märkli housing works by artist Hans Josephsohn.

As a testimony to historical events, there is the “Battle of the Big Stones Monument,” a work of the sculptor Apollonio Pessina from Ligornetto, inaugurated on August 1, 1937, in remembrance of the battle fought on December 28, 1478, between Leventina residents and Confederates against Milanese troops.