Iron bridges, bold testimonies to the early 20th century

An unusual adventure among fortresses, cloisters, former monasteries and more.

A stop along the Voghera-Varzi railway, which was active between 1931 and 1966 and has now been converted into a cycling and pedestrian path

Discover Pavia: City of Knowledge, River and Paths

The wonders of faith and the marvels of architecture in splendid religious buildings

A few steps away from the main settlement of Ponte in Valtellina , along the road that leads to Valfontana and the pastures of San Bernardo, we encounter the small church dedicated to Saint Roch, Christopher and Sebastian. Its architectural features suggest it was built in the Fifteenth century, while the dedication leads to think that some sort of pestilence occurred at the time.  The church has a single-hall plan, an apse and a tower bell ending in an octagonal pinnacle. The stonework of the facade was plastered and embellished with some frescoes that anticipate what is to be found inside: several paintings attributed to the painter Giovannino da Sondalo decorate the inner walls of the church.  Some frescoes are clearly visible: on the outside, the Pietà in the lunette of the portal and serveral frescoes on the inside, among which The Virgin with the Child, Saint Roch and Sebastian. Photo - Claudio Franchetti

Churches at Manerba del Garda

This itinerary starts from ValSeriana and ends in the most important centre of the Val Brembana, San Pellegrino. The passage through the town of Lenna takes you through the historic bridge on the Brembo, in stone, with the typical humpback shape. Then reach Camerata Cornello and visit the historic village of Cornello, which gave birth to the famous family of Tasso, the inventors of the modern postal system to which there is a museum is dedicated. Also in Cornello, there is the church of Saints Cornelio and Cipriano: located at the highest point of the village, it has a curious leaning bell tower. Take the bike back to San Giovanni Bianco, where Arlecchino's birthplace is located, then take the Val Brembana cycle path and cycle through the spectacular tunnel that leads you to the San Pellegrino mineral Spas. Here you have arrived in the small town of Liberty, where the Casino, the Grand Hotel and the spa are perfect examples of this style of the early 1900s. Take part in a very special visit is to the Grotte del Sogno, a karst complex that takes you down underground, to admire the natural spectacles created by water and limestone. To end the day well, allow yourself a visit to the Terme di San Pellegrino: you will leave feel regenerated.

A short itinerary with a 500-meter elevation gain that leads to the Hermitage of Sant'Alberto di Butrio. In the first part of the ascent, you pass through Oramala and its castle. After reaching Poggio del Re, the route continues with gentle ups and downs. This hike through the hills of Oltrepò Pavese, starting from the village of Varzi, takes us to a very special place: the Hermitage of Sant'Alberto di Butrio. The village of Sant'Alberto di Butrio is named after the priest Alberto, who, having given away all his wealth to the poor, retired as a hermit in the mountains. Alberto built a small church there, placing it under the protection of the Virgin. Other men inspired by faith gathered around him, and thus the Abbey was born, governed by the rules of Saint Benedict. Gregory VII mentioned it in a letter to the monks in 1074, the year in which the founder and first abbot, Sant'Alberto, likely died. The Abbey, especially due to large donations from the Malaspina family and other lords, quickly became very wealthy. In 1158, the Abbot, now rich and powerful, purchased the County of Pizzocorno from Obizzo Malaspina. The Abbey became a destination for illustrious figures, and tradition says that Frederick Barbarossa stayed there and that the English King Edward II is buried there. In the 16th century, Pope Leo X merged it with the Abbey of Saint Bartholomew in Pavia. This led to a decline in the Abbey’s importance, and it was suppressed by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1810. The Hermitage of Sant'Alberto di Butrio, dedicated to the hermit abbot who founded the Abbey, is considered a jewel of medieval architecture. Nearby, the village of San Ponzo is of great interest. Completely built in local stone, it still retains the authenticity of its medieval layout. Not far away are the caves of San Ponzo, where the saint hermit from the Roman period lived. Near the caves, there is a spring of miraculous water and a resting area for visitors. Before reaching the hermitage, you will encounter the Castle of Oramala, which became the favored residence of the Malaspina court and hosted many well-known troubadours of Occitan Provençal culture. The castle, now a private residence, is currently closed to the public.  

A town in the Cremonese area famous for the 'Palio delle Contrade', stands on a small terrace overlooking the Oglio river

Chi ama il golf trova in provincia di Brescia un circuito golfistico di alto livello. Campi a 27 e 18 buche, apprezzati dai migliori giocatori di tutto il mondo e disegnati da noti esperti internazionali, svariati campi a 6 buche, campi scuola e promozionali consentono di testare le capacità sia dei golfisti più esperti che di coloro che si avvicinano per la prima volta a questo meraviglioso sport. Tutti i golf bresciani sono inseriti in cornici di grande pregio ambientale: il green di Bogliaco fondato nel 1912 gode della vista del lago, ma anche delle montagne dell’Alto Garda; Arzaga e Gardagolf sono circondati dalle dolci colline della Valtenesi, il Garda Hotel San Vigilio Golf è a pochi km dal panorama mozzafiato sulla parte meridionale del lago; il Golf della Franciacorta è ai margini di vigneti rinomati e vicino al romantico lago d’Iseo e alle sue tradizioni; lo scenario delle montagne innevate abbraccia il Golf di Pontedilegno, situato a 1.500 metri di quota in un’ampia conca circondata da foreste di abeti. E ancora il Golf Serenissima, il recente e frequentatissimo Bresciagolf, il nuovo e pianeggiante Colombaro, o Alpiaz Montecampione in Valle Camonica.E poi c’è il post-partita, con la scoperta della ristorazione bresciana, lo shopping di moda italiana, le escursioni in barca o la visita alle vicine città d’arte di Lombardia. A testimonianza dell’importanza del golf per il turismo della provincia di Brescia ogni anno si tiene il Torneo di Golf Bresciatourism, riservato a giornalisti stranieri.    Elenco dei Golf club a Brescia e Provincia: –ARZAGA GOLF RESORT–GARDA HOTEL SAN VIGILIO GOLF–GOLF BOGLIACO–FRANCIACORTA GOLF CLUB–GARDAGOLF COUNTRY CLUB–BRESCIA GOLF COUNTRY CLUB–GOLF CLUB ALPIAZ MONTECAMPIONE–GOLF CLUB COLOMBARO–GOLF CLUB PONTE DI LEGNO–LA COLOMBERA GOLF CLUB