Avegno Scenic TrailAvegno
Scenic
Trail

The hamlet la Gésgia

The parish church of Saints Luca and Abbondio

The original single nave church is thought to have been built in the 13th century. The most significant extension, which included the creation of two side naves supported by four imposing columns and the addition of side altars dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Charles Borromeo, took place in the first half of the 17th century. The bell tower, on the other hand, dates back to 1527 and was raised in 1852. In the last decades of the 20th century, the church underwent major renovations, so that works by contemporary artists coexist alongside very old elements: the altar and the ambon by Panos da Faenza, the large fresco of the Last Supper, and the stained glass windows by friar Roberto Pasotti.

The hamlet la Gésgia

House with soldier painting

A large 19th-century house, with three floors and a balcony, renovated in the mid-20th century. Although some modifications have partially compromised its original appearance, it is remarkable for its façade, which is almost entirely covered by a painting with a soldier flanked by two wild animals (a lion and a tiger). Although of no particular artistic value, the large decoration is noteworthy for the uniqueness of the subject and for its date of 1888.

The hamlet la Gésgia

Emigrants’ Houses

Along the road that links the hamlets of La Gésgia and Lüdínt, there are traces of the successful emigration of some inhabitants of Avegno to the Americas. Noteworthy are the C’a do Sèp Rianda, built in 1899, which features modest decorative elements on the façade and a beautiful symmetrical fenced garden, and especially the elegant C’a du Bòp Crespin, a three-storey house built in 1910 by Arnoldo Crespini. Before its completion, Crespini decided to return to California for good and sold the house to his brother Battista.

The hamlet la Gésgia

Chapel of Santa Liberata

The construction date of this large chapel with a portico is unknown, but it is attributed to the second half of the 19th century, when it is believed to have replaced two nearby chapels that were demolished. The chapel, with a floor paved with slate slabs, features a small altar and is entirely painted: Our Lady of Mount Carmel is depicted in the centre, surrounded by Saints Faustina and Liberata. The outer side walls are decorated with a small mural painting: to the west, the Crucifixion with Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Mary Magdalene; to the east, the Holy Family. The large portico, supported by monolithic pillars and vaulted in a ribbed pattern with the symbol of the Holy Trinity, is enclosed by an iron fence on three sides and was probably added in the early 20th century.

The hamlet of Lüdínt

The stone arch

This ancient stone arch was built in the oldest hamlet of the village, Lüdínt. It is all that remains of a more complicated structure, originally consisting of two twin arches that supported a living area, forming a portico above the pedestrian walkway.

The hamlet of Lüdínt

The wine fermentation room

A small building once used for the production and storage of wine. On the ground floor, there is a screw press and a stone vat with a capacity of about 1,000 litres. The use of large stone slabs, rather than wooden staves, to make large containers for storing wine is typical of the more southerly villages of the Maggia Valley. On the first floor, APAV has set up a small exhibition, which is always open, that shows the vine-growing situation in the lower Maggia Valley.

The hamlet of Lüdínt

The Oratory of Saint Anne

The oratory, built in the second half of the 17th century in the centre of the Lüdínt hamlet, is dedicated to Saint Anne, Mary’s mother. The exterior is very simple, with a small portico and a small bell gable. The interior, although no longer furnished with a complete set of liturgical items, retains some noteworthy elements, in particular the 17th-century altarpiece depicting the Infant Mary between Saints Anne and Joachim, as well as the mural paintings created in 1966 by the artist Hans Anton Tomamichel from Bosco Gurin, which stand out on the back wall. In the past, the oratory was also adorned with two 15th-century wooden statues representing the Madonna with Child and Saint Abbondio, which are now on display in the parish church of Avegno.

The hamlet of Lüdínt

The washbasin of Lüdínt 

Built in 1921, the washbasin was initially located near the fountain in the centre of the hamlet, where the inhabitants of Lüdínt used to draw water and take their cattle to drink. In 1946, after the construction of the new municipal water supply system, it was moved to its current location near the Capèla di Ortaiöi.

The hamlet of Lüdínt

The Capèla di Formïi

An 18th-century chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, depicted in the niche alongside Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena. Surrounding the image are fifteen medallions representing the Mysteries of the Rosary. The inside of the niche is entirely painted, and there is a fresco also on the back, again of Our Lady of the Rosary. However, unfortunate repairs carried out in the mid-20th century largely obliterated the decorations on the frontispiece and the rest of the main façade.

The hamlet of Lüdínt

The fountains of Lüdínt

In the small square of Lüdínt, two fountains are placed side by side. The first one, monolithic, was primarily used as a drinking trough. The other consists of stone elements, joined together and sealed with lead, from a split basin that was once installed in a cellar for wine storage. Large containers like this are almost exclusive to Avegno, where they can be found in large numbers in the grotti.

Al Pianásc

The Roman trail

The so-called “Roman” trail is the footpath that in the past connected the three historical hamlets of Avegno – Vinzótt, La Gésgia, and Lüdínt. This name was often given to artefacts that were considered particularly ancient, even without any specific reference to the Roman civilisation, which was nonetheless present in the lower Maggia Valley. This mule trail, which winds its way through picturesque views of the village and past numerous well-preserved remains of rural and pre-industrial civilisation, is enclosed by dry-stone walls, which also mark out the boundaries of the surrounding land and were used to prevent livestock from straying into the cultivated areas.

Al Pianásc

The Capèla di Ronc'itt

The Capèla di Ronc'itt stands along what is now the drainage canal of a small stream, but formerly marked the beginning of the ancient cará (stone path) leading to the Mónt dint area. It was restored as part of a local redevelopment project in 2020, following an earlier restoration effort carried out between 1950 and 1955. Some of the original paintings have been partially preserved. They were painted by an anonymous artist who worked in the Maggia Valley, as well as in Minusio and Mergoscia, during the second half of the 18th century: in the niche, the Madonna with Child is depicted in the centre, with Saint Joseph to the left. On the front, Saint Anthony of Padua is identifiable, though the inscription, which was presumably located on the cartouche of the frontispiece, has disappeared.

Al Pianásc

The new orchards

As part of the local redevelopment project, alongside the restoration of agricultural land and the conservation of numerous rural heritage structures, new orchards have been planted using hard-to-find varieties of indigenous plants, among which walnut, apple, pear, cherry, purple apricot and medlar trees.

Al Pianásc

Al Gròtt di Iöscia

A peculiar structure built beneath a rock, with dry-stone masonry and a beautiful single-pitched slate roof – the only architectural element protruding from the ground. It was built to complete the partial coverage of an overhanging boulder, which also serves as the eastern wall. A stone staircase leads up to the entrance of the partially vaulted room. Inside, some traces of its previous use as a cellar for the storage of wines and cheeses are still preserved: a niche, a stone base, and hooks hanging from the ceiling.

Al Pianásc

The Capèla do Pianásc

The chapel dates from 1814, has an elegant slate roof and is richly decorated on three sides. After a restoration with questionable results carried out between 1955 and 1960, the paintings regained their former splendour in 2006 thanks to new, more respectful interventions. The central motif, the Baptism of Jesus, is depicted between the Immaculate Conception and Saint Joseph, while all around it are the images of Saints Gotthard, Abbondio, Charles Borromeo, Dominic, and Roch, important figures in the Catholic Church and venerated with great devotion in the region.

Al Pianásc

The Cará do Ricardo

A scenic stone path that takes the hiker along the old trail to Mónt dint, a toponym that refers to the whole mountain to the right of the Ri Grand valley. It is named after Riccardo Tomasetti, who in the 1940s paved the initial stretch up to the Capèla do Pianásc.

Al Pianásc

Al Casòtt do Tóni Tolátt

A simple and rustic refuge made entirely of stone, which preserves traces of the work of Tóni Tolátt (Antonio Bianchi), who used to temper points and chisels here for cutting stones used in the construction of buildings, slate roofs, and the characteristic carásc (stone posts for vineyards). In the surrounding area, scattered over a fairly large area, stones with clear signs of processing can be seen, some even extracted using explosives. This is not a real quarry, but rather the recovery of large boulders.

The grotti of Vinzótt

The grotti

Built with masonry and vaulted cellars or over natural chambers, the grotti of Vinzótt – around ten in total – form a very compact cluster at some distance from the residential area of the hamlet. Inside some of the buildings, you can still see the supports for the wooden shelves (bèlti) used to store cheese wheels and other products, as well as a stone vat for storing wine. The small outdoor spaces are furnished with stone seats and tables. Remarkably fine finishings, such as the top of door jambs and lintels, are worth mentioning.

A project sponsored by the Patriziato of Avegno made it possible for most of the structures to be renovated and the ceiling of the large central grotto to be completely rebuilt. The spacious flat area, once used for playing boules, and its supporting wall, previously damaged by the fall of a large boulder, have also been restored.

The grotti of Vinzótt

The terraces

The ronco (terraced hillock) of Vinzótt is a valuable testimony to the care and skill with which, in the past, also the less suitable parts of the land were used for agriculture. Like many other agricultural areas, this ronco, abandoned after the rapid decline of traditional activities following World War II, was quickly taken over by spontaneous tree and shrub vegetation.

The restoration of the terraces was part of the second phase of a project promoted by the Patriziato of Avegno aimed at the functional recovery of the architectural, rural, and historical heritage located uphill from Vinzótt. Initially, the structures were uncovered by clearing the undergrowth and controlling the invasive neophytes. Subsequently, about 460 linear meters of dry-stone walls and a small building under the rock were restored using traditional techniques. Small ramps were also built between the terraces to facilitate future management.

Thanks to the collaboration of the Pro Frutteti and Centro Natura Vallemaggia Associations, a fruit orchard will be planted in 2025 with old varieties of medium- and low-stem trees.

The grotti of Vinzótt

The Capèla di Gnèll

The refined Capèla di Gnèll stands near the grotti of Vinzótt, right at the entrance of the path leading to the Mónt fòra. It is plastered and frescoed on all four sides, and on the frontispiece it bears the inscription: “Martino Fr[a]ncesco Biancho a' fatto fare <...> anno 1733”. In the niche, the “Holy Crucifix of the Nonciata of Como”, surrounded by saints, is depicted, while on the back there is a valuable painting titled “The Death of the Righteous” by the same artist who decorated the chapel at the Grotto Maimorire.