Valsolda is a ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' (municipality) of about 1,400 inhabitants in the

Province of Como The Province of Como ( it, Provincia di Como; german: Provinz Como; Comasco: ) is a province in the north of the Lombardy region of Italy and borders the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Grigioni to the North, the Italian provinces of Sondrio and Le ...

in the Italian region

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

on the border with

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. It is located about north of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, about north of

Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label=Comasco dialect, Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and ...

and east of

Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Luga ...

. Valsolda (''Vallis Solida'' in Latin) gives the name to the river Soldo who cuts across the valley. The municipality was formed in 1927 and it is subdivided into nine villages: Cressogno, San Mamete (the municipal seat), Albogasio, Oria and Santa Margherita on the shores of Lake Lugano, as well as Loggio, Drano, Puria, Dasio and Castello on the mountains above. Valsolda is home to the largest natural reserve in

with over 785 acres of forest populated by deer, roes, chamois, yews, foxes, eagles, hawks and sparrows. Valsolda was the set of some the works of novelist Antonio Fogazzaro, including ''Malombra'' (1881) and ''

Piccolo mondo antico ''Piccolo mondo antico'' (literally: Little Ancient World), known in English as ''Old-Fashioned World '', is a 1941 Italian drama film directed by Mario Soldati and based on the 1895 novel by Antonio Fogazzaro. It belongs to the movies of the c ...

'' (1895); his house in Oria is still visitable. Other notable figures from the area include painter

Paolo Pagani Paolo Pagani (22 September 1655 – 5 May 1716) also known as Paolo Antonio Pagani or Paolo Pagano, was an Italian Baroque/ Mannerism painter of the 17th century. Biography Pagani was born in Valsolda, now a municipality in the Province of ...

, architect

Pellegrino Tibaldi Pellegrino Tibaldi (Valsolda, 1527–Milan, 1596), also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini, was an Italian mannerism, mannerist architect, sculpture, sculptor, and mural Painting, painter. Biography Tibaldi was born in Puria di Valsol ...

, writer and journalist

Brunella Gasperini Brunella Gasperini, pen name of Bianca Robecchi (Milan, 22 December 1918 – Milan, 7 January 1979) was an Italian journalist and novelist. Biography She spent most of her life between Milan, her birthplace, and San Mamete, a small hamlet in Vals ...

, TV anchors

Victoria Cabello Victoria Ellen Cabello (born 12 March 1975, in London) is an Italian television presenter. She was born in London to an Italian father and an English mother, and grew up in Valsolda, a small town in the province of Como, just a few kilometers f ...

and Kurt Felix, singer

Paola Del Medico Paola del Medico Felix (born 5 October 1950) is a Swiss singer. Career Born in Saint-Gall to an Italian father and a Swiss mother, Paola del Medico has sung mostly in German and French. She represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Conte ...

and the family of World champion figureskater Gundi Busch. Valsolda borders the following municipalities: Cadro (Switzerland),

Cimadera Cimadera is a former municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 14 April 2013 the former municipalities of Bogno, Cadro, Carona, Certara, Cimadera, Valcolla and Sonvico merged into the municipality of Lu ...

(Switzerland),

Claino con Osteno Claino con Osteno (Comasco: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about north of Como. It is a small ''comune'' on Lake Lugano, composed of a series of small ...

(Italy),

Alta Valle Intelvi Alta Valle Intelvi is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy. It was created on 1 January 2017 after the merger of the former ''comuni'' of Lanzo d'Intelvi, Pellio Intelvi and Ramponio Verna. Main sight ...

(Italy),

(Switzerland),

Porlezza 240px, Interiori of the church of San Vittore. Porlezza is a ''comune'' (municipality) on Lake Lugano in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about north of Como. Porlezza borders the following m ...

(Italy), Sonvico (Switzerland),

Val Rezzo Val Rezzo ( Comasco: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about north of Como, on the border with Switzerland. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of ...

(Italy) and

Villa Luganese Villa Luganese is a quarter of the city of Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino ...

(Switzerland). Valsolda is twinned with the town of Węgrów in Poland.

References

External links

Official website

Pro Loco Valsolda

Museo Casa Pagani

Premio Antonio Fogazzaro

Cities and towns in Lombardy Italy–Switzerland border crossings Italy–Switzerland border {{Como-geo-stub