Valle Vigezzo (Vigezzo Valley) is a valley in the

Lepontine Alps , topo_map= Swiss Federal Office of Topography swisstopo , photo=MonteLeone0001.jpg , photo_caption=Monte Leone , country_type= Countries , country= , subdivision1_type= Cantons, Regions , subdivision1= , parent= Western Alps , borders ...

in northwestern Italy on the border with

Canton Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...

of Switzerland. It forms the eastern branch of the Ossola valley. It is also called the Valle dei Pittori (Valley of the Painters) due to the large number of painters over the centuries such as Giuseppe Mattia Borgnis, Lorenzo Peretti, Bernardino Peretti,

Enrico Cavalli Enrico Cavalli (5 November 1849 – 28 February 1919) was an Italian post-impressionist painter. Biography Son of the painter Carlo Giuseppe Cavalli and Francesca Motta, he left Santa Maria Maggiore ( Ossola Valley) for France when his family ...

Carlo Fornara Carlo Fornara (21 October 1871 – 15 September 1968) was an Italian neo-impressionist and divisionist painter. Biography Born in Prestinone (Craveggia) into a humble family of Valle Vigezzo farmers in 1871, his talent emerged after he began at ...

Giovanni Battista Ciolina Giovanni Battista Ciolina (15 May 1870 – 29 May 1955) was an Italian neo-impressionist and divisionist painter. Biography Born into a family of Valle Vigezzo farmers in 1870, he attended the ''Rossetti Valentini'' Art School in Santa Maria ...

Gian Maria Rastellini Gian Maria Rastellini (20 January 1869 – 30 December 1927) was an Italian Neo-impressionism, neo-impressionist painter. Biography Gian Maria Rastellini was born in Buttogno, a small village in the Valle Vigezzo, to a well-to-do family and w ...

, Maurizio Borgnis, Lorenzo Peretti Junior. It is remembered for its " spazzacamini" or chimney-sweepers who brought their trade around Europe. It is connected with the

Eau de Cologne Eau de Cologne (; German: ''Kölnisch Wasser'' ; meaning "Water from Cologne"), or simply cologne, is a perfume originating from Cologne, Germany. Originally mixed by Johann Maria Farina (Giovanni Maria Farina) in 1709, it has since come to be a ...

, invented over 300 years ago by Giovanni Maria Farina using, among other ingredients flowers and oils from plants from Vigezzo. Another man from Vigezzo, Giovan Maria Salati is credited to be the first recorded person swimming across

the English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or (Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kan ...

over 200 years ago, after having been taken prisoner by the British after Waterloo. The valley itself is unusual for not having a single river running along it, but two, one towards the Toce river (Melezzo Occidentale) and the other (Melezzo Orientale) to the Swiss side towards

Lake Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; it, Lago Maggiore ; lmo, label= Western Lombard, Lagh Maggior; pms, Lagh Magior; literally 'Greater Lake') or Verbano (; la, Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest l ...

. The Swiss side of the valley is called Centovalli.

Inhabited centers

In the valley there are many beautiful villages: Druogno,

Santa Maria Maggiore The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the larges ...

Malesco Malesco is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about north of Verbania, the provincial capital. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of ...

and Re at the valley floor; Toceno, Craveggia and Villette on the slopes.

Main peaks

* Pizzo la Scheggia (2466 m) * Pioda di Crana (2430 m) * Pizzo Ragno (2289 m) * Cima della Laurasca (2193 m) * Monte Gridone (2167 m) Valleys of Piedmont Lepontine Alps {{Piedmont-geo-stub