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The Valchiavenna is an 
The Valchiavenna is an alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
valley in the province of Sondrio
The Province of Sondrio ( it, provincia di Sondrio) is in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Its provincial capital is the city of Sondrio. As of 2017, it has a population of 181,403.
History
The Province was established in 1815, within ...
, in 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 ...
in northern Italy. It lies to the north of Lake Como
Lake Como ( it, Lago di Como , ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh de Còmm , ''Cómm'' or ''Cùmm'' ), also known as Lario (; after the la, Larius Lacus), is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of , making it the thir ...
, and is traversed by the rivers Mera and Liro. It can be divided into three parts which branch from the confluence of these rivers near Chiavenna
Chiavenna ( lmo, Ciavèna ; la, Clavenna; rm, Clavenna or ''Claven''; archaic german: Cläven or ''Kleven'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is the centre of the Alpine ...
, the principal town of the region.
The lower part, the Bassa Valchiavenna, follows the course of the Mera downstream through the Piano di Chiavenna
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
to Lago di Mezzola
Lago di Mezzola is a small lake in the Italian region of Lombardy, measuring .
Geography
It lies between the Pian di Spagna to the south, which divides it from Lake Como and is an ecologically important wetland habitat, and the Piano di Chiav ...
, and continues across the Pian di Spagna
The Riserva Naturale Pian di Spagna e Lago di Mezzola is a nature reserve in Lombardy, Italy. The reserve consists of the Lago di Mezzola and the wetland area which separates it from Lake Como, the Pian di Spagna. It includes parts of the comun ...
to the Trivio di Fuentes near Colico
Colico ( Comasque: or ; la, Colicum) is a city in the province of Lecco, Lombardy, Italy. It is situated on the northern arm of Lake Como, where the river Adda enters the lake. Colico is the most important city in the northern part of Lake Co ...
. Its territitory lies within the comuni
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 ...
of Mese, Prata Camportaccio
Prata Camportaccio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,758 and an area of .All ...
, Gordona
Gordona is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,770 an ...
, Samolaco
Samolaco is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of the regional capital Milan and about northwest of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2005, it had a population of 2,913 and an are ...
, Novate Mezzola
Novate Mezzola is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about west of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,71 ...
and Verceia
Verceia 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 1,101 and an area of .All demographics ...
.
The northern part consists of the Valle Spluga
The Valle Spluga, also known as the Val San Giacomo and as the Val dei Giüst, is an Alpine valley in the north Italian Province of Sondrio (Lombardy), which extends from the Splügen Pass, on the border with Switzerland
). Swiss law does n ...
, the valley of the Liro river which leads up to the Splügen Pass
The Splügen Pass (german: Splügenpass; it, Passo dello Spluga; rm, Pass dal Spleia ) is an Alpine mountain pass of the Lepontine Alps. It connects the Swiss, Grisonian Splügen to the north below the pass with the Italian Chiavenna to the s ...
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 ...
and includes the comuni of San Giacomo Filippo
San Giacomo Filippo (Alpine Lombard: ''San Giacum'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of 3 ...
, Madesimo
Madesimo (, called Isolato until 1983) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland.
Madesimo borders th ...
, and Campodolcino
Campodolcino (''Candulscin'' in Chiavennasque dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of ...
.
The third subdivision of Valchiavenna is the Italian part (comuni of Villa di Chiavenna
Villa di Chiavenna is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland.
Villa di Chiavenna borders the following ...
and Piuro
Piuro (''Piür'' in the Chiavenna, local dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italy, Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of ...
) of the Val Bregaglia
The Val Bregaglia ( lmo, Val Bregaja; german: Bergell, ; rm, ) is an alpine valley of Switzerland and Italy at the base of which runs the river Mera ( lmo, Maira in Switzerland).
Most of the valley falls within the Swiss district of Maloja i ...
, which is the upper valley of the Mera and rises eastward towards the Passo del Maloja
Maloja Pass (Italian: ''Passo del Maloja'', German: ''Malojapass'') (1815m a.s.l.) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps in the canton of Graubünden, linking the Engadine with the Val Bregaglia, still in Switzerland and Chiavenna in ...
.
The Comunità Montana della Valchiavenna, which coincides approximately with the Valchiavenna, includes the thirteen comuni of Campodolcino
Campodolcino (''Candulscin'' in Chiavennasque dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of ...
, Chiavenna
Chiavenna ( lmo, Ciavèna ; la, Clavenna; rm, Clavenna or ''Claven''; archaic german: Cläven or ''Kleven'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is the centre of the Alpine ...
, Gordona
Gordona is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,770 an ...
, Madesimo
Madesimo (, called Isolato until 1983) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland.
Madesimo borders th ...
, Menarola
Menarola is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 40 a ...
, Mese, Novate Mezzola
Novate Mezzola is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about west of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,71 ...
, Piuro
Piuro (''Piür'' in the Chiavenna, local dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italy, Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of ...
, Prata Camportaccio
Prata Camportaccio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,758 and an area of .All ...
, Samolaco
Samolaco is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of the regional capital Milan and about northwest of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2005, it had a population of 2,913 and an are ...
, San Giacomo Filippo
San Giacomo Filippo (Alpine Lombard: ''San Giacum'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland. As of 3 ...
, Verceia
Verceia 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 1,101 and an area of .All demographics ...
and Villa di Chiavenna
Villa di Chiavenna is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about northwest of Sondrio, on the border with Switzerland.
Villa di Chiavenna borders the following ...
. The Riserva Naturale Pian di Spagna e Lago di Mezzola lies partly within it.
References
Further reading
* George Clowes, F. Calvert (1826). ''A picturesque tour by the new road from Chiavenna over the Splügen, and along the Rhine to Coira, in the Grisons''. London: Printed for William Cole. (lithographs by Calvert of paintings by Clowes)Chiavenna
Chiavenna ( lmo, Ciavèna ; la, Clavenna; rm, Clavenna or ''Claven''; archaic german: Cläven or ''Kleven'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It is the centre of the Alpine ...
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