Article 02

It’s a name to make you dream. And make you want to know where the valley is. Maybe you want to know who the “painters” could be? Are they painters of buildings, or artists, or are their paintings to be found in this valley?

The name Valle Vigezzo is probably no more familiar than the Valley of Painters. Not because the Valley is far away. Nor because the region is small. But rather because it lies just off the main arteries of communication. If you take the Simplon tunnel to Milan, you pass very close to this valley but without actually going through it. It is only when you go to Tessin via the Simplon tunnel that you go through this valley, and then when people do, they often don’t stop.

The Valle Vigezzo, also named the Valley of Painters, is a little-known region not far from Geneva. It lies almost perfectly east-west. Almost as if one had drawn a line with a ruler between Domodossola and Locarno. Geologically the bottom of the valley corresponds more or less with the Insubrian line, the border separating the African tectonic plate with that of Europe. The Valley of Painters follows on from the Centovalli when you go through the customs at Càmedo to go to Italy.

The valley must have been colonized a very long time ago, as shown by the acorn-shaped stones found there. Moreover the local dialect consists of words whose origin would be pre-Latin. Over the course of history, the Valle Vigezzo has seen the arrival of various populations. Amongst them, the Walser, coming from the Upper Valais. They have left their mark here and there in the form of place names. Blizz, for example, near Craveggia, would be German in origin. Another hypothetical trace that the Walser have left is the political border. Contrary to all expectation, the border with Switzerland does not follow the ridge of the upper Valley Onsernone. This kind of configuration is typical of the heritage left by peoples moving with flocks or herds of animals.

As in many alpine regions, the Valley of Painters has been the home of many instigators of good works carried out abroad. Among the most famous, are the inventors of Eau de Cologne, which originally was not a perfume but a herbal brandy. Another genius was Giovanni Pietro Jelmoli de Toceno whose genius is illustrated by the chain of Jelmoli shops (today taken over by Globus). It was he who instigated the idea of selling by mail order. And out of respect for all those who didn’t make a name for themselves, we should mention those who travelled to the big cities in Europe to work as masons in the case of adult males, or as chimneysweeps in the case of children. A bronze statue (Il piccolo rüsco) has been erected in Malesco in memory of the children.

The origin of the name Valle Vigezzo comes from the glaciers of Mont Rose. From many places in the valley, the view of the glaciers is magnificent. Thus Vigezzo means “ view of the glaciers, vi gezz”.

As in many alpine valleys, the harshness of life and the overpopulation of the middle of the 19 century contributed to people leaving the countryside for the cities. This exodus has continued until recently. The number of inhabitants in the different villages in the valley has diminished. And those who continue living there are often tempted to work across the border in neighbouring Tessin. One of the consequences is the development of tourism, still in its early stages compared to other areas, which is a shame on the one hand but on the other hand, for those who love unspoilt nature, it offers wonderful opportunities for superb walks.

Guided walks in this and similar areas are described on the website http://www.destination-montagne.ch.

And the painters, you ask me, where are they? Well, one can look at many splendid religious frescos on the walls of houses (Craveggia is particularly renowned for them). And all the painters from this valley, particularly the Bognis and the Giorgis, worked not only in the valley but also in the big cities of Europe.

The Valley of Painters is not far away and yet offers a total change of scenery.