Village of curiglia con monteviasco

Curiglia con Monteviasco is a town in the northernmost reaches of the Varese province, on the border with the Canton of Ticino.

The town is perched on a hillside, founded by what were once two municipalities, Curiglia and Monteviasco. In the past, the only way to access the hilltop village was to climb the long staircase of 1,400 steps.

Today, the area is also accessible from a cable car that was opened in 1989.

The characteristic architecture of the old town centre, which dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries, consists of stone houses, wooden balconies and roofs in traditional flagstone. Even the original stone paving, known as "rizzata", has remained intact for about 200 years. An important cultural and historical landmark is the "masso di Piero", a large boulder which takes its name from the town where it is located. This boulder is marked with numerous engravings, figures, symbols and words dating back to the pagan era, which were later replaced by floral crosses when it was used for Christian religious practices in the 10th-11th century. Be sure to visit the 17th-century statue dedicated to San Carlo Borromeo and the two sanctuaries: the Serta Sanctuary in Monteviasco, positioned at the end of the long staircase, and the Tronchedo Sanctuary in Curiglia, with the beautiful fresco of the Madonna del Latte. A number of votive chapels are also located throughout the area.