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Livigno (; local ; ) is a town, ''
comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...
'' and a special-administered territory in the
province of Sondrio The province of Sondrio (), also known as Valtellina (the major valley of the province) is a province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its provincial capital is the city of Sondrio. As of 2024, it has a population of 179,165. History The prov ...
, in the region of
Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, located in the Italian
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
, near the
Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...
border.


History

Livigno's first settlers were probably shepherds during the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. The first documents called this area . The name possibly comes from an old German word for "
avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...
" which have always been frequent in the valley – the last avalanche to hit the village was in 1951, causing seven deaths and damage to a dozen houses. Politically, Livigno has always followed
Bormio Bormio (, , ) is a town and ''comune'' with a population of about 4,100 located in the Province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy. The centre of the upper Valtellina valley, it is a popular winter sports resort. It was the ...
's history, although the relationships between the two communes have always been tense, Bormio being dominant and more populous than Livigno. Until the 1970s Livigno was a farming village. In recent decades, however, things have changed, and nowadays Livigno enjoys a better economic situation and a higher number of inhabitants. Livigno has recently enjoyed one of Italy's highest birth rates (19.4 births per 1000 inhabitants). Livigno's economy is based on tourism, both in winter and in summer, and on its duty-free status, with goods sold at bargain prices.


Geography

Livigno is above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
. Livigno's main
river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
is called Aqua Granda or Spöl. Trepalle, a ''
frazione A ''frazione'' (: ''frazioni'') is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' ('municipality') in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidat ...
'' in the municipality of Livigno, is considered Europe's highest inhabited parish. Livigno was once a traditional and cultural village. Livigno is one of the few Italian villages which do not belong to the
drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
of the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
but to the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
basin. Between 1965 and 1968, Swiss electric company Engadiner Kraftwerke AG, following an agreement with the Italian government, purchased land in Livigno in order to build a reservoir, the Lago di Livigno, for electricity production. Some houses and a church, "Chiesetta di Viera" lying in the valley where the reservoir would be built, had to be demolished.


Climate

Livigno has a very cold, wet
subalpine climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...
(Köppen: Dfc). Most of winter is spent below freezing and snow is abundant. Summer is the only part of the year in which temperatures above are common, and frosts are less common (but still occur every year). Temperatures over are rare.


Main sights

Saint Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
's parish church was erected at the end of the 19th century, on a previous church. The current building incorporated the previous one, which was left standing until the end of works, allowing church services to be carried out as usual. Other buildings of note are the Caravaggio church, with some '' ex voto'' paintings and a picture which is traditionally attributed to
Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...
, and Saint Rocco church, built at the beginning of the 16th century as an offering for protecting the village against plague. Local scenery encompasses high peaked mountains and deep valleys.


Duty-free status

Livigno enjoys a special
tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...
status as a duty-free area. Italian VAT (value added tax) is not paid. Although tax advantages for Livigno were recorded as far back as the sixteenth century, the current tax exemption was first introduced by the
Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...
around 1840. It was then confirmed by the
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
around 1910, then by the Italian Republic and the
European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...
in 1960. Although no VAT is paid, income taxes are, thus Livigno cannot be considered as a
tax haven A tax haven is a term, often used pejoratively, to describe a place with very low tax rates for Domicile (law), non-domiciled investors, even if the official rates may be higher. In some older definitions, a tax haven also offers Bank secrecy, ...
. The justification for such a status is the difficulty in reaching Livigno during winter, and the centuries-long history of poverty in the region. The various states wanted to ensure people would have an incentive to live in the area (so that they could claim it territorially). At the same time, the tax revenue from Livigno would have been negligible. Only three roads lead to the town. Two link to
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, one through the Forcola di Livigno, elevation and open in summer only, and the second through the Munt la Schera Tunnel. The third road connects to other parts of Italy through the Foscagno Pass, elevation . Leaving Livigno for the rest of Italy, there is a customs checkpoint on the road staffed by officers of the Italian militarized
Guardia di Finanza The Guardia di Finanza (; G. di F. or GdF; or ) is an Italian militarised law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy), Ministry of Economy and Finance, instead of the Ministry of Defence (Italy), Ministry of Defence ...
. Entering or leaving from or to Switzerland there are both Guardia di Finanza officers and Swiss Border Guards.


Economy

Livigno once made a living from agriculture and a little commerce.
Smuggling Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. More broadly, soc ...
was both widespread and not socially deprecated, being often the only way to survive in such a harsh environment. This generated some prejudice in the remaining population of Valtellina, where smuggling was also widespread, with the local proverb ''gent de cunfin, tücc' lader o asesin'', or "border people, all thieves or murderers". Nowadays Livigno is a rich area, and the main activities are linked to tourism, especially as a
ski resort A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area–a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North Am ...
. Many inhabitants of
Valtellina Valtellina or the Valtelline (occasionally spelled as two words in English: Val Telline; (); or ; ; ) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its ski centre, hot spring spas, bresa ...
visit once in a while to buy goods at substantially lower prices, especially tax-free gasoline, sometimes from as far as
Sondrio Sondrio (; ; ; archaic or ; ) is an Italian city, ''comune'' and administrative centre for the province of Sondrio, located in the heart of the Valtellina. , Sondrio counted approximately 21,876 inhabitants. In 2007, Sondrio was named the Alpine ...
. The tax free allowance for tourists applied here is the same as the one applied to travellers coming from any non EU country. The 2005
Union Cycliste Internationale The Union Cycliste Internationale (; UCI; ) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces di ...
mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...
world championships were held here, from 28 August to 4 September.


Culture and sport

Despite its small size, there are many cultural organizations in Livigno. Some of these are: * Corpo Musicale, a local street band * Gruppo folkloristico, a folk group * Monteneve Chorus * Carcent theatre group * A few rock/pop bands, the most well-known being MetalDreit The mass-media sector is quite developed as well. In the 1980s a local radio, Radio Alteuropa, used to broadcast from Livigno, covering up to a wide part of the neighbouring
Valtellina Valtellina or the Valtelline (occasionally spelled as two words in English: Val Telline; (); or ; ; ) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its ski centre, hot spring spas, bresa ...
valley. The local monthly newspaper, Al Restel, was founded in the same period and it is still published today. Nowadays, most information is given by a TV channel, TeleMonteNeve, which broadcasts the city council's meetings, a news report three times a week and other information both for residents and for tourists. On-line new media is also growing. An example is Senzaiva, an on-line cultural magazine. Its name means "without VAT", referring to the special duty-free status of Livigno and of all cultural products. The local dialect has been categorized in a dictionary, funded by the local administration. This language variety is used locally in street names and in some other signs, as well as on the official maps. Sport also plays an important role. In Livigno there are nearly 20 sport associations, most of them are supported by an association called Sporting Club. Many young athletes often end up with good results in their discipline (see Notable people below).


Skiing and snowboarding

There are two separate ski areas at Livigno, one on either side of the valley: Carosello 3000 (Vetta Blesaccia & Costaccia mountains), the other is the Mottolino area (Monte della Neve & Monte Sponda mountains) to the east. Livigno ski area: 115 km of piste (12 black runs, 37 red and 29 blue slopes). 31 lifts: (6-cableways 13-chairlifts, 11-ski lifts). Skiing season from late November until early May. At the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, no less than eight Italian athletes came from Livigno. It will be used for snowboarding and freestyle skiing in the
2026 Winter Olympics The 2026 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXV Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Milano Cortina 2026, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 6 to 22 February 2026 at sites across Lombardy and North ...
in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
and
Cortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo (; , ; historical ) sometimes abbreviated to simply Cortina, is a town and ''comune'' in the heart of the southern (Dolomites, Dolomitic) Alps in the province of Belluno, in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Situated on the ...
. In 2015, Livigno was home to the European Freeride Festival which ran between 31 January and 4 February.


Chess

Since 2010 the International Livigno Chess Open has taken place, organized by the local chess club. It has attracted people from all over the world. Winner for 2010 was GM Igor Naumkin, in 2011 GM Sergey Volkov (both from Russia) and in 2012 the Italian GM Alberto David. These tournaments also proved successful, so that even the
FIDE The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( , ), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national chess federations and acts as the Spor ...
(World Chess Federation) has mentioned them. Sport is relevant also in terms of tourism. In Livigno people not only go and see sports competitions, which is a key component of so-called sport tourism, but also play outdoor or indoor sports. The local tourist offer covers the four seasons, so there's the possibility not only of practising winter sports but also trekking, mountain biking, and since the lake was made navigable, water sports became another option. Furthermore, due to its above sea level, Livigno often hosts the training sessions of professional athletes of different disciplines, who come to the alpine resort to benefit from the high altitude.Mambretti E., Ruberto T., Livigno. ''Una storia che viene da lontano'', Lyasis Edizioni, Sondrio, 2015.


People

* Daniela Zini (born 1959), team skier (9th place in 1980 Alpine Skiing World Cup), born locally * Ivan Bormolini (born 1972), Alpine Skiing World Cup ski-racer * Gianluigi Galli (born 1973), rally car driver in
World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is an international rallying series owned and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA. Inaugurated in 1973, it is the oldest FIA world championship after Formula One. E ...
, born in and lives in the town * Giorgio Rocca (born 1975), skier (winner of slalom specialty cup in 2006 Alpine Skiing World Cup), lives locally * Marianna Longa (born 1979), cross-country skier in Italy's National Team. * Cousins Katia Zini (born 1981) and Mara Zini (born 1979) bronze medallists in
short track speed skating Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice skating, ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a length of . The rink itself is long by wide, which is the s ...
in
2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...


References


External links

*
Livigno Tourist officeNews on Livigno

Another portal on Livigno
*

{{Olympic venues snowboarding Cities and towns in Lombardy Duty-free zones of Europe Special territories of the European Union Ski areas and resorts in Italy Venues of the 2026 Winter Olympics Olympic freestyle skiing venues Olympic snowboarding venues