The Valle Vigezzo is known throughout Italy as “the valley of painters and chimney sweeps”, a double nickname that tells the story of two very different trades, both equally linked to the seasonal migration that characterised the valley for centuries.
The great migrations between the 17th and 18th centuries
Between the 17th and 18th centuries, the valley experienced significant waves of migration, which encouraged the spread abroad of traditional occupations such as chimney sweeping and, in parallel, painting. It was precisely these movements that made Vigezzo famous far beyond the borders of Piedmont.
The Rossetti Valentini School
A key moment for the valley’s painting tradition was the founding of the “Rossetti Valentini” School of Fine Arts in Santa Maria Maggiore in 1878, established by the Vigezzo painter Giovanni Maria Rossetti Valentini, who emigrated to France and later returned to the valley. Upon his return, he opened a free school of drawing and decorative arts for young people interested in painting: despite numerous difficulties, overcome also thanks to donations and the help of master Enrico Cavalli, the school became the centre of the valley’s artistic and intellectual activity, a unique model throughout the Alpine arc.
The museum dedicated to chimney sweeps
Alongside its painting tradition, the valley preserves the memory of the other trade that made it famous: the Chimney Sweep Museum tells the harsh reality of this profession, which for centuries represented a central figure in the life of Valle Vigezzo. It is the only museum in Italy entirely dedicated to this trade.
Vigezzo, between art and nature
The valley has its centre in Santa Maria Maggiore, and is crossed by villages such as Druogno and Masera. To explore the valley’s artistic history in greater depth, see Valle Vigezzo.
After exploring the valley’s art and history, the vineyards on the Ossola valley floor are just a short distance away for a tasting.
A valley that changes its face with every season
Valle Vigezzo offers very different landscapes depending on the time of year: the spring flowering of the meadows, the deep green of the woods in summer, the warm colours of autumn that have inspired generations of painters, and finally the quiet atmosphere of snowy winter. This seasonal variety is probably one of the reasons why so many artists have chosen this very valley as a source of inspiration over the centuries.
Seven villages, two souls
Valle Vigezzo includes seven main villages: Druogno, Santa Maria Maggiore, Malesco and Re, set on the valley floor, and Toceno, Craveggia and Villette, perched on the slopes. Craveggia stands out for the refined architecture of its noble palaces and for the Church of Saints James and Christopher, which houses the so-called Craveggia Treasure, a collection of sacred objects of great historical and artistic value. Malesco, meanwhile, is home to the Regional Ecomuseum of Soapstone and Stonemasons, dedicated to another historic trade of the valley, while numerous hiking trails towards the upper valley start from Toceno.
One final note: Valle Vigezzo shows how art, history and landscape can intertwine naturally, without the need for artifice, in an area that continues to inspire its visitors with the same spirit as the painters of Vigezzo in the past.
A valley that paints itself, season after season.
Colours, history and painters: a valley to admire at leisure.
Painters, chimney sweeps and landscapes: the valley that paints itself.
One final word about Valle Vigezzo: its ability to inspire artists for centuries continues today, with contemporary photographers and painters choosing these landscapes as their subject.
Colours, painters and history: a valley to admire without haste.
A valley that paints itself, different every day.
Those visiting Valle Vigezzo can easily continue their itinerary towards the rest of Val d’Ossola, discovering an area where painting, craftsmanship and, further down the valley, mountain viticulture together tell the identity of this Alpine land.
