The so-called Market way (''Via del Mercato'') connects

Locarno , neighboring_municipalities= Ascona, Avegno, Cadenazzo, Cugnasco, Gerra (Verzasca), Gambarogno, Gordola, Lavertezzo, Losone, Minusio, Muralto, Orselina, Tegna, Tenero-Contra , twintowns =* Gagra, Georgia * Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic ...

with

Domodossola Domodossola (; Lombard: Dòm) is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the region of Piedmont, northern Italy. It was also known as Oscela, Oscella, Oscella dei Leponzi, Ossolo, Ossola Lepontiorum, and Domo d'Ossola ...

, through the

Centovalli Centovalli (literally: hundred valleys) is a valley and a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Locarno (district), Locarno in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is composed of 19 villages or ...

and the

Val Vigezzo Valle Vigezzo (Vigezzo Valley) is a valley in the Lepontine Alps in northwestern Italy on the border with Ticino, Canton Ticino of Switzerland. It forms the eastern branch of the Ossola valley. It is also called the Valle dei Pittori (Valley of ...

. The way uses ancient path and mule tracks used in the past centuries by merchants transporting goods from

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

and

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 ...

. In the early 20th century the

Centovalli railway Centovalli (literally: hundred valleys) is a valley and a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is composed of 19 villages or hamlets "frazioni". The municipality was formed on 25 October 2009 throu ...

was built in order to develop the commerce and is nowadays a main tourist attraction. Today hikers can walk the 62 km path dividing it in four stages or they can also use the railways that run along the tracks. This way is part of the itinerary

CoEur - In the heart of European paths CoEur is a Christian devotional and hiking route in Italy and Switzerland. Its Italian subtitle, ''Nel cuore dei cammini d'Europa'', translates as "In the heart of Europe's paths". History of the route The path CoEUR was created in the late 1990 ...

The history

The "Via del Mercato", from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, was the way travelled by merchants, woodsmen, stockmen and migrants passing because of work from the

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 . ...

to the

Ossola The Ossola (, also Valle Ossola or Val d’Ossola) is an area of Italy situated to the north of Lago Maggiore. It lies within the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Its principal river is the Toce, and its most important town Domodossola. Et ...

. This connection was used since ancient times because it is an easy way through the mountains, due to the

periadriatic seam The Periadriatic Seam (or fault) is a distinct geologic fault in Southern Europe, running ''S-shaped'' about from the Tyrrhenian Sea through the whole Southern Alps as far as Hungary. It forms the division between the Adriatic plate and the Euro ...

, the

geologic fault In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...

along which are aligned the Val Vigezzo, Locarno,

Bellinzona Bellinzona ( , , Ticinese ; french: Bellinzone ; german: Bellenz ; rm, Blizuna )is a municipality, a historic Swiss town, and the capital of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The town is famous for its three castles (Castelgrande, Montebell ...

and 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 ...

. The importance of this marginal land is lately declined, but many proofs of arts and culture are still present in the Val Vigezzo. The ancient road has been replaced by the present road, but it is still possible to find the old path thanks to the ways that connect villages and the ancient smuggling ways.

Main sights

Along the ''Via del Mercato'' there are many points of historical and anthropological interest.

Santuario della Madonna in Re

The Santuario della Madonna del Sangue in Re, built in neo-Byzantine style, pursuant to a miracle that happened in 1494, became a main religious point in the area.

The "Good-bye chapel" in Gagnone

The so-called "Good-bye chapel" was the place where the paysant said good-bye to their relatives who emigrate.

Sant'Abbondio in Masera

The church of Sant'Abbondio in

Masera Masera is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Verbania. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,483 and an area of . ...

was the starting point of the old road of Vigezzo. The church has been abandoned for centuries, but it was recently restored and it is now possible admire the Romanesque architecture.

Santa Maria Maggiore

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 ...

is the heart of the Val Vigezzo. The parish church, originally built before 1000, was rebuilt in the 18th century and decorated with frescos made by local painter Giuseppe Maria Borgnis.

The "Rossetti Valentini" school of art

The Val Vigezzo is called the "valley of painters" and this tradition continues today thanks to th
"Rossetti Valentini" school of art
and its gallery.

The Chimney sweeper Museum

Th
Chimney sweeper Museum in Santa Maria Maggiore
conserve pictures, objects and tools of a forgotten profession, that played and important role in the economy of the Val Vigezzo.

The Val Vigezzo's "Piazza dei Miracoli"

The main square in Craveggia village is called the Val Vigezzo's "Piazza dei Miracoli" because it holds two important religious buildings: the parish church and the baptistery. In the church is kept the Treasure of the King of France.

The Centovalli villages

Arrived in Switzerland you find the villages of

Camedo Camedo is a Swiss village near the border with Italy. Camedo is part of the Swiss municipality of Centovalli located in Canton Ticino (district of Locarno). Camedo is one of the most important villages among the 19 localities of Centovalli. due ...

Borgnone Borgnone is a hamlet part of the municipality of Centovalli in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. Not to be confused with much bigger Camedo or with Lionza or Costa. It is serviced by the train station of Cadanza-Bor ...

, Lionza, Verdasio, Pila and

Intragna Intragna is a village and locality in the municipality of Centovalli in the district of Locarno of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. Intragna has good railway connection with Locarno, Switzerland and Domodossola, Italy, as well as bus connec ...

, connected by roads and mule tracks.

has the tallest bell tower (65 m) of all the

. There is also th
Museo etnografico regionale delle Centovalli e del Pedemonte
that collects the history of the area in the past centuries.

References

{{Reflist Hiking trails in Italy Hiking trails in Switzerland Masera