The municipality of Chiesa represents the oldest and most substantial built-up area in Valmalenco.

Like most of the mountain municipalities, it was characterized by a strong decentralization into small inhabited hamlets that arose on diversified elevation belts that naturally formed the contrade, which initially arose as small self-sufficient units for the needs of the families who lived in them, with vegetable gardens and cultivated fields, stables, mill, the small church or simple votive chapels, the fountain-drinking trough, the washhouse and the oven for common use to bake bread for the entire community.

The preservation of the rural cores and their enhancement has made it possible to study the contrade and create a network of connecting paths so as to rediscover historical, artistic and cultural values. The goal is to propose easy and convenient hiking use of these trails throughout most of the year. The trail starts from the center of Chiesa, in the SS Giacomo e Filippo square and continues through the hamlets of Sasso, Montini, Faldrini, Somprato, Costi, Curlo, Pedrotti and finally Vassalini. Each contrada has its own peculiarity and history so we invite you to pick up at the Sondrio and Valmalenco Tourist Consortium the manual "sentiero delle Contrade di Chiesa Valmalenco" or download it from this page.