Valsolda is a ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' (municipality) of about 1,400 inhabitants in the

Province of Como The Province of Como ( it, Provincia di Como; german: Provinz Como; Comasco: ) is a province in the north of the Lombardy region of Italy and borders the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Grigioni to the North, the Italian provinces of Sondrio and L ...

in the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

region

Lombardy (man), (woman) lmo, lumbard, links=no (man), (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , ...

on the border with

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. It is located about north of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

, about north of

Como Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label= Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps ...

and east of

Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label= Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Lugano has a populat ...

. Valsolda (''Vallis Solida'' in Latin) gives the name to the river Soldo who cuts across the valley. The municipality was formed in 1927 and it is subdivided into nine villages: Cressogno, San Mamete (the municipal seat), Albogasio, Oria and Santa Margherita on the shores of

Lake Lugano __NOTOC__ Lake Lugano ( it, Lago di Lugano or , from la, Ceresius lacus; lmo, Lagh de Lugan) is a glacial lake which is situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated ...

, as well as Loggio, Drano, Puria, Dasio and Castello on the mountains above. Valsolda is home to the largest

natural reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

with over 785 acres of forest populated by deer, roes, chamois, yews, foxes, eagles, hawks and sparrows. Valsolda was the set of some the works of novelist

Antonio Fogazzaro Antonio Fogazzaro (; 25 March 1842 – 7 March 1911) was an Italian novelist and proponent of Liberal Catholicism. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven times. Biography Fogazzaro was born in Vicenza to a wealthy family. In ...

, including ''Malombra'' (1881) and ''

Piccolo mondo antico ''Piccolo mondo antico'' (literally: Little Ancient World), known in English as ''Old-Fashioned World '', is a 1941 Italian drama film directed by Mario Soldati and based on the 1895 novel by Antonio Fogazzaro. It belongs to the movies of the ca ...

'' (1895); his house in Oria is still visitable. Other notable figures from the area include painter Paolo Pagani, architect

Pellegrino Tibaldi Pellegrino Tibaldi (Valsolda, 1527– Milan, 1596), also known as Pellegrino di Tibaldo de Pellegrini, was an Italian mannerist architect, sculptor, and mural painter. Biography Tibaldi was born in Puria di Valsolda, then part of the duchy ...

, writer and journalist

Brunella Gasperini Brunella Gasperini, pen name of Bianca Robecchi (Milan, 22 December 1918 – Milan, 7 January 1979) was an Italian journalist and novelist. Biography She spent most of her life between Milan, her birthplace, and San Mamete, a small hamlet in Vals ...

, TV anchors

Victoria Cabello Victoria Ellen Cabello (born 12 March 1975, in London) is an Italian television presenter. She was born in London to an Italian father and an English mother, and grew up in Valsolda, a small town in the province of Como, just a few kilometers f ...

and

Kurt Felix Kurt Felix may refer to: * Kurt Felix (television presenter) (1941–2012), Swiss television presenter and entertainer * Kurt Felix (athlete) (born 1988), Grenadian decathlete {{Hndis, Felix, Kurt ...

, singer

Paola Del Medico Paola del Medico Felix (born 5 October 1950) is a Swiss singer. Career Born in Saint-Gall to an Italian father and a Swiss mother, Paola del Medico has sung mostly in German and French. She represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contes ...

and the family of World champion figureskater Gundi Busch. Valsolda borders the following municipalities:

Cadro Cadro is quarter of the city of Lugano and a former municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 14 April 2013 the former municipalities of Bogno, Cadro, Carona, Certara, Cimadera, Valcolla and Sonvico merged ...

(Switzerland),

Cimadera Cimadera is a former municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 14 April 2013 the former municipalities of Bogno, Cadro, Carona, Certara, Cimadera, Valcolla and Sonvico merged into the municipality of Lu ...

(Switzerland), Claino con Osteno (Italy),

Alta Valle Intelvi Alta Valle Intelvi is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy. It was created on 1 January 2017 after the merger of the former ''comuni'' of Lanzo d'Intelvi, Pellio Intelvi and Ramponio Verna. Main sig ...

(Italy),

(Switzerland), Porlezza (Italy),

Sonvico Sonvico (''Sonvìch'' in the Lombard language) is a quarter of the city of Lugano and former municipality of the Lugano district in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. On 14 April 2013 the municipality of Sonvico merged into the municipality of ...

(Switzerland),

Val Rezzo Val Rezzo (Comasco: ) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about north of Milan and about north of Como, on the border with Switzerland. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 20 ...

(Italy) and

Villa Luganese Villa Luganese is a quarter of the city of Lugano, Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal cour ...

(Switzerland). Valsolda is twinned with the town of

Węgrów Węgrów is a town in eastern Poland with 12,561 inhabitants (31 December 2003). Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), it is the capital of Węgrów County. History First mentioned in historical records in 1414, Węgrów receiv ...

in Poland.

References

External links

Official website

Pro Loco Valsolda

Museo Casa Pagani

Premio Antonio Fogazzaro

Cities and towns in Lombardy Italy–Switzerland border crossings Italy–Switzerland border {{Como-geo-stub