Sondrio (; lmo, Sùndri; rm, Sunder; archaic german: Sünders or ; la, Sundrium) is an Italian city and ''

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 ...

'' and Provincial Capital located in the heart of the

Valtellina Valtellina or the Valtelline (occasionally spelled as two words in English: Val Telline; rm, Vuclina (); lmo, Valtelina or ; german: Veltlin; it, Valtellina) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Toda ...

. , Sondrio counts approximately 21,876 inhabitants (2015) and it is the administrative centre for the province of Sondrio. In 2007, Sondrio was given the

Alpine Town of the Year The Alpine Town of the Year award is given to towns which have made exceptional efforts for the realization of the Alpine Convention and for sustainable development. The ''Alpine Towns of the Year'' are members of the international association of ...

award.

History

Formerly an

Ancient Roman In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

military camp, today's Sondrio was founded by the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...

: in their language ''Sundrium'' meant "Exclusive property", referring to the status of free men (''

arimanni The arimanni (singular ''arimannus'') were a warrior class of freemen in Lombard and later Frankish Italy. In contemporary documents ''arimanni'' are sometimes denominated as ''liberi homines'' (free men) or ''exercitales'' (soldiers). The ranks ...

'') of the holders of the city and the surrounding land. After the fall of the

Lombard Kingdom The Kingdom of the Lombards ( la, Regnum Langobardorum; it, Regno dei Longobardi; lmo, Regn di Lombard) also known as the Lombard Kingdom; later the Kingdom of (all) Italy ( la, Regnum totius Italiae), was an early medieval state established ...

in Italy, Sondrio became part of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

. The Capitanei of Vizzola, who controlled much of the Valtellina, had it in 1040 from the emperor Henry II. From 1310 to 1335 the city was involved in the war between the

Guelph and Ghibelline The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rival ...

factions of the nearby

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 its war against

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 ...

. After having resisted several attacks by the Comaschi, in 1335 Sondrio and Valtellina became part of the

Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

Milanese dominions. From the second half of the 16th century to the end of the 18th century, Sondrio was governed by the Tre Leghe Grigie ("Three Grey Leagues") of the

Grisons The Grisons () or Graubünden,Names include: *german: (Kanton) Graubünden ; * Romansh: ** rm, label= Sursilvan, (Cantun) Grischun ** rm, label=Vallader, (Chantun) Grischun ** rm, label= Puter, (Chantun) Grischun ** rm, label=Surmiran, (Cant ...

, as the capital city of

. After the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, Sondrio was the centre of heavy struggles between the Catholic Valtellinesi and the Protestant Grisons. In 1620 the citizens, led by

Giacomo Robustelli Giacomo is an Italian name. It is the Italian version of the Hebrew name Jacob. People * Giacomo (name), including a list of people with the name Other uses * Giacomo (horse), a race horse, winner of the 2005 Kentucky Derby * ''Giácomo'' (film) ...

, killed 180 Protestants and declared the independence of the Valtellina. After the

Napoleonic Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

parenthesis, in which it became part of the

Cisalpine Republic The Cisalpine Republic ( it, Repubblica Cisalpina) was a sister republic of France in Northern Italy that existed from 1797 to 1799, with a second version until 1802. Creation After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte organized t ...

(later

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

), Sondrio with the Valtellina was annexed to the Austrian

Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia ( la, links=no, Regnum Langobardiae et Venetiae), commonly called the "Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom" ( it, links=no, Regno Lombardo-Veneto, german: links=no, Königreich Lombardo-Venetien), was a constituent land ...

, and fought gallantly for its independence.

Geography

The town is located in the middle of the province, and borders with the municipalities of

Albosaggia Albosaggia is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southwest of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,135 and an area of .All demo ...

, Caiolo,

Castione Andevenno Castione Andevenno is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about west of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,545 and an area of .All de ...

Faedo Valtellino Faedo Valtellino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southeast of Sondrio. Faedo Valtellino borders the municipalities of Albosaggia, Montagna i ...

Montagna in Valtellina Montagna in Valtellina is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northeast of Sondrio. Montagna in Valtellina borders the following municipalities: Ca ...

Spriana Spriana is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about north of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 101 and an area of .All demographics ...

and

Torre di Santa Maria Torre di Santa Maria ( lmo, La Tur) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about north of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 884 and ...

. Its hamlets (''

frazioni A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist era (1922–1943) as ...

'') are Arquino, Colda, Gualtieri, Ligari, Moroni, Mossini, Ponchiera, Sant'Anna, Sassella, Triangia and Triasso.

Government

Economy

The territory of Sondrio has numerous vineyards; wines produced include the Sassella and Grumello. Wine represents one of the main resources of this region, together with tourism, especially in winter. Another important piece of Sondrio's economy is its banking industry, with the Banca Popolare di Sondrio and the

Credito Valtellinese Credito Valtellinese (Creval) is an Italian bank based in Sondrio, Lombardy, Italy. The company was a former component of FTSE Italia Mid Cap Index of the Borsa Italiana (Milan Stock Exchange), but was removed and added as a component of Index in ...

both headquartered in Sondrio and listed on the

Milan Stock Exchange Borsa Italiana, based in Milan, is the Italian stock exchange. It manages and organises domestic market, regulating procedures for admission and listing of companies and intermediaries and supervising disclosures for listed companies.italy24.ils ...

Main sights

The heart of Sondrio is its central Garibaldi Square. Not far from it is the Palazzo Sassi, home of the Art and History Museum of Valtellina. In a dominant position, near the ancient road to the Valmalenco, linking the town to Switzerland, stands the Masegra Castle, housing the Historical Museum of the Grisons Domination. The church of

Santi Gervasio e Protasio Santi is used as: People with the surname * Brenden Santi (born 1993), Australian-Italian rugby league player * Domenico Santi (1621–1694), also known as il Mengazzino, Italian painter * Emanuele Santi, Italian economist and political scientis ...

rebuilt in Neoclassical-style in 1838, was built in the 12th century as a Romanesque

pieve In the Middle Ages, a pieve (, ; la, plebe, link=no; plural ''pievi'') was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended. The Italian word ''pieve'' is descended from Latin ''plebs'' which, after th ...

and

collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a ...

. Other sights include the Torre Ligariana, once the collegiate's bell tower, and the Palazzo Pretorio, once the seat of the Grisons government. Across the railway in direction of

there is the ancient Church of Maria della Sassella, which the local tradition dates back to the 10th century. In March 2021 the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Como The Diocese of Como ( la, Dioecesis Comensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in northern Italy. It was established in the Fourth Century. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of ...

declared the church to be a diocesan Marian sanctuary.

People

* Giovanni Pietro Ligario (1686–1748), painter * Antonio Caimi (1814–1878), painter *

Enrico Sertoli Enrico Sertoli (June 6, 1842, Sondrio – January 28, 1910, Sondrio) was an Italian physiologist, histologist, anatomist, biologic chemist, physician, teacher and inventor. He is remembered for his discovery regarding the branched cells of sem ...

(1842–1910), physiologist and histologist * Antonio Carini (1872–1950), physician, bacteriologist and professor * Primo H. Zopatti (1878-1934), entrepreneur America, Zopatti Bros., Dorchester. *

Pier Luigi Nervi Pier Luigi Nervi (21 June 1891 – 9 January 1979) was an Italian engineer and architect. He studied at the University of Bologna graduating in 1913. Nervi taught as a professor of engineering at Rome University from 1946 to 1961 and is known wor ...

(1891–1979), engineer * Valerio Ricetti (1898—1952), Italian-Australian hermit * Gianni Celati (b. 1937), writer, translator and literary critic *

Sophia Zopatti Lewis Sophia means "wisdom" in Greek. It may refer to: *Sophia (wisdom) *Sophia (Gnosticism) * Sophia (given name) Places *Niulakita or Sophia, an island of Tuvalu * Sophia, Georgetown, a ward of Georgetown, Guyana * Sophia, North Carolina, an unincor ...

(b.1941), Olympic dressage hunter/jumper Rome 1960 *

Giulio Tremonti Giulio Tremonti () (born 18 August 1947) is an Italian politician. He served in the government of Italy as Minister of Economy and Finance under Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from 1994 to 1995, from 2001 to 2004, from 2005 to 2006, and from 20 ...

(b. 1947), politician * Benedetto Della Vedova (b. 1962), politician * Raffaella "Raffy" Rossi (b. 1974), ski mountaineer and skyrunner * Luca Colombo (b. 1984), football player *

Matteo D'Alessandro Matteo D'Alessandro (born 18 May 1989) is an Italian professional footballer who plays for Serie D club Atletico Ascoli. Career Born in Sondrio, Lombardy, D'Alessandro started his career at Calcio Como. On 31 August 2006 he was signed by Geno ...

(b. 1989), football player *

Robert Antonioli Robert Antonioli (born 23 December 1990) is an Italian ski mountaineer. Antonioli was born in Sondalo, started ski mountaineering in 2004, and took part in his first competition race in 2006. He is member of the Sci Club Alta Valtellina, and liv ...

(b. 1990), ski mountaineer *

Michele Boscacci Michele Boscacci (born 4 January 1990) is an Italian ski mountaineer. Boscacci, son of Graziano Boscacci, was born in Sondalo, and started skiing when he was five years old. In 2004 he competed at his first Pierra Menta race, when he was fourtee ...

(b. 1990), ski mountaineer *

Arianna Fontana Arianna Fontana OMRI (born 14 April 1990) is an Italian short track speed skater, who has won eleven Olympic medals among these two gold medals in the 500m short track, one at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the second one at the 20 ...

(b. 1990), short track speed skater * Lorenzo Passerini (b. 1991), conductor

Twin towns – sister cities

Sondrio is twinned with: *

Radovljica Radovljica (; german: Radmannsdorf) is a town in the Upper Carniola region of northern Slovenia. It is the administrative seat of the Municipality of Radovljica. Geography The town is located on the southern slope of the Karawanks mountain ra ...

, Slovenia * São Mateus, Brazil *

Sindelfingen Sindelfingen ( Swabian: ''Sendlfenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg in south Germany. It lies near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe (a tributary of the river Würm), and is home to a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant. History * 1155 � ...

, Germany

Sports

Sondrio Calcio Sondrio Calcio is an Italian football club based in Sondrio, Lombardy. In 2020 the team went bankrupt but was founded again in 2021. History Foundation The club was founded in 1932 as ''Sondrio Sportiva'', in 1985 was renamed ''Hard Sondrio Cal ...

is the football club of the city and currently plays in

Serie D The Serie D () is the top level of semi-professional football in the country. The fourth tier of the Italian league system, the competition sits beneath the third professional league, Serie C. It is administered by the Lega Nazionale Dilettant ...

References

External links

Official website

Sondrio weather website
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Lombardy