Sondrio (; ; ; archaic or ; ) is an Italian city, ''

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 administrative centre for 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 ...

, located in the heart of the

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 ...

. , Sondrio counted approximately 21,876 inhabitants. In 2007, Sondrio was named the

Alpine Town of the Year The Alpine Town of the Year award is given to towns which have made exceptional efforts for the realization of the Alpine Convention and for sustainable development. The ''Alpine Towns of the Year'' are members of the international association of ...

History

Formerly an

Ancient Roman In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

military camp, today's Sondrio was founded by the

Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...

: in their language ''Sundrium'' meant "Exclusive property", referring to the status of free men (''

arimanni The arimanni (singular ''arimannus'') were a warrior class of freemen in Lombard and later Frankish Italy. In contemporary documents ''arimanni'' are sometimes denominated as ''liberi homines'' (free men) or ''exercitales'' (soldiers). The rank ...

'') of the holders of the city and the surrounding land. After the fall of the

Lombard Kingdom The Kingdom of the Lombards, also known as the Lombard Kingdom and later as the Kingdom of all Italy (), was an Early Middle Ages, early medieval state established by the Lombards, a Germanic people, on the Italian Peninsula in the latter part ...

in Italy, Sondrio became part of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. The Capitanei of Vizzola, who controlled much of the Valtellina, had it in 1040 from the emperor

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

. From 1310 to 1335 the city was involved in the war between the

Guelph and Ghibelline The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th and 13th centurie ...

factions of the nearby

Como Como (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...

, and its war against

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 ...

. After having resisted several attacks by the Comaschi, in 1335 Sondrio and Valtellina became part of the

Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

Milanese dominions. From the second half of the 16th century to the end of the 18th century, Sondrio was governed by the Tre Leghe Grigie ("Three Grey Leagues") of the

Grisons The Grisons (; ) or Graubünden (),Names include: * ; *Romansh language, Romansh: ** ** ** ** ** **; * ; * ; * . See also list of European regions with alternative names#G, other names. more formally the Canton of the Grisons or the Canton ...

, as the capital city of

. After the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, Sondrio was the centre of heavy struggles between the Catholic Valtellinesi and the Protestant Grisons. In 1620 the citizens, led by

Giacomo Robustelli Giacomo () is an Italian given name corresponding to English James. It is the Italian version of the Hebrew name Jacob. People bearing the name include: *Giacomo Acerbo (1888–1969), Italian economist and Fascist politician *Giacomo Agostini (b ...

, killed 180 Protestants and declared the independence of the Valtellina. After the

Napoleonic Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of mi ...

parenthesis, in which it became part of the

Cisalpine Republic The Cisalpine Republic (; ) was a sister republic or a client state of France in Northern Italy that existed from 1797 to 1799, with a second version until 1802. Creation After the Battle of Lodi in May 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte organized two ...

(later

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 ...

), Sondrio with the Valtellina was annexed to the Austrian

Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia The Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia (), commonly called the "Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom" (; ), was a constituent land (crown land) of the Austrian Empire from 1815 to 1866. It was created in 1815 by resolution of the Congress of Vienna in recogniti ...

, and fought gallantly for its independence.

Geography

The town is located in the middle of the province, and borders with the municipalities of

Albosaggia Albosaggia is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southwest of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 3,135 and an area of .All demogra ...

Caiolo Caiolo () is a (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southwest of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 994 and an area of .All demographics and ...

Castione Andevenno Castione Andevenno is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about west of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,545 and an area of .All dem ...

Faedo Valtellino Faedo Valtellino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southeast of Sondrio. Faedo Valtellino borders the municipalities of Albosaggia, Montagna in Va ...

Montagna in Valtellina Montagna in Valtellina is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northeast of Sondrio. Montagna in Valtellina borders the following municipalities: Caspo ...

Spriana Spriana is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about north of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 101 and an area of .All demographics and ...

and

Torre di Santa Maria Torre di Santa Maria () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about north of Sondrio. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 884 and an area of .All ...

. Its hamlets (''

frazioni 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 ...

'') are Arquino, Colda, Gualtieri, Ligari, Moroni, Mossini, Ponchiera, Sant'Anna, Sassella, Triangia and Triasso.

Government

Economy

The territory of Sondrio has numerous vineyards; wines produced include the Sassella and Grumello. Wine represents one of the main resources of this region, together with tourism, especially in winter. Another important piece of Sondrio's economy is its banking industry, with the Banca Popolare di Sondrio and the

Credito Valtellinese Credito Valtellinese (known as Creval) was an Italian bank based in Sondrio (in Lombardy, Italy) prior to its acquisition by Crédit Agricole Italia in 2021. The company was a former component of FTSE Italia Mid Cap Index of the Borsa Italiana ...

both headquartered in Sondrio and listed on the

Milan Stock Exchange Borsa Italiana () or Borsa di Milano (), based in Milan at Mezzanotte Palace, is the Italian stock exchange. It manages and organises domestic market, regulating procedures for admission and listing of companies and intermediaries and supervi ...

Main sights

The heart of Sondrio is its central Garibaldi Square. Not far from it is the

Palazzo Sassi A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

, home of the Art and History Museum of Valtellina. In a dominant position, near the ancient road to the Valmalenco, linking the town to Switzerland, stands the Masegra Castle, housing the Historical Museum of the Grisons Domination. The church of Santi Gervasio e Protasio rebuilt in Neoclassical-style in 1838, was built in the 12th century as a Romanesque

pieve In Italy in the Middle Ages, a ''pieve'' (, ; ; : ''pievi'') was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended. ''Pieve'' is also an Italian and Corsican term signifying the medieval ecclesiastical/a ...

and

collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons, a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, headed by a dignitary bearing ...

. Other sights include the Torre Ligariana, once the collegiate's bell tower, and the Palazzo Pretorio, once the seat of the Grisons government. Across the railway in direction of

there is the ancient Church of Maria della Sassella, which the local tradition dates back to the 10th century. In March 2021 the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Como The Diocese of Como () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in northern Italy. It was established in the Fourth Century. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Arch ...

declared the church to be a diocesan Marian sanctuary.

People

Giovanni Pietro Ligario Giovanni Pietro Ligario (1686–1748) was an Italian painter and architect of the late-Baroque. He was born at Ardenno province of Sondrio in the Valtelline valley, and after early training there, moved to Rome, where he frequented the studio of ...

(1686–1748), painter *

Antonio Caimi Antonio Giacomo Caimi (16 April 1811, Sondrio – 5 January 1878, Milan) was an Italian portrait painter, author, and professor at the Brera Academy. Biography He trained initially at the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo under Giuseppe Diotti, then ...

(1814–1878), painter *

Enrico Sertoli Enrico Sertoli (June 6, 1842, Sondrio – January 28, 1910, Sondrio) was an Italian physiologist, histologist, anatomist, biologic chemist, physician, teacher, and inventor. He is remembered for his discovery regarding the Branched cell, branche ...

(1842–1910), physiologist and histologist *

Antonio Carini Antonio Carini (1872–1950) was an Italian physician, bacteriologist and professor. He worked in the public health services of São Paulo, Brazil for over forty years.Primo H. Zopatti (1878-1934), entrepreneur America, Zopatti Bros., Dorchester. *

Pier Luigi Nervi Pier Luigi Nervi (21 June 1891 – 9 January 1979) was an Italian engineer and architect. He studied at the University of Bologna graduating in 1913. Nervi taught as a professor of engineering at Rome University from 1946 to 1961 and was known wo ...

(1891–1979), engineer *

Valerio Ricetti Valerio Ricetti (; 4 October 1898 – 1952) was an Italian-Australian hermit who lived mainly in a cave in the Griffith area for a period of 23 years. Working only at night and in the early morning hours so that he would not be seen, he turned ...

(1898—1952), Italian-Australian hermit * Gianni Celati (1937–2022), writer, translator and literary critic *

Sophia Zopatti Lewis Sophia most commonly refers to: * Sophia (wisdom), a central idea in Hellenistic philosophy and religion * Sophia (Gnosticism), a feminine figure in Gnosticism * Sophia (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters named Sophia ...

(b.1941), Olympic dressage hunter/jumper Rome 1960 *

Giulio Tremonti Giulio Tremonti (; born 18 August 1947) is an Italian politician. He served in the government of Italy as Minister of Economy and Finance under Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi from 1994 to 1995, from 2001 to 2004, from 2005 to 2006, and from 200 ...

(b. 1947), politician *

Benedetto Della Vedova Benedetto Della Vedova (Sondrio, 3 April 1962) is an Italian politician. A keen pro-Europeanist, Della Vedova is currently president of Forza Europa (FE) and has been secretary of More Europe (+EU), the latter comprising FE and the Italian Rad ...

(b. 1962), politician * Raffaella "Raffy" Rossi (b. 1974), ski mountaineer and skyrunner * Luca Colombo (b. 1984), football player *

Matteo D'Alessandro Matteo D'Alessandro (born 18 May 1989) is an Italian professional footballer who plays for Serie D club Atletico Ascoli. Career Born in Sondrio, Lombardy, D'Alessandro started his career at Calcio Como. On 31 August 2006 he was signed by Genoa ...

(b. 1989), football player *

Robert Antonioli Robert Antonioli (born 23 December 1990) is an Italian ski mountaineer. Antonioli was born in Sondalo, started ski mountaineering in 2004, and took part in his first competition race in 2006. He is a member of the Sci Club Alta Valtellina, and l ...

(b. 1990), ski mountaineer *

Michele Boscacci Michele Boscacci (born 4 January 1990) is an Italian ski mountaineer. Boscacci, son of Graziano Boscacci, was born in Sondalo, and started skiing when he was five years old. In 2004 he competed at his first Pierra Menta race, when he was fourteen ...

(b. 1990), ski mountaineer *

Arianna Fontana Arianna Fontana OMRI (born 14 April 1990) is an Italian short track speed skater, who has won eleven Olympic medals among these two gold medals in the 500m short track, one at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the second one at the 2022 ...

(b. 1990), short track speed skater *

Lorenzo Passerini Lorenzo Passerini (born 1991) is an Italian conductor who began as a trombonist. He has worked at major opera houses in Europe and Australia, such as Verdi's '' Un ballo in maschera'' at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Gounod's ''Faust'' at the Sydney ...

(b. 1991), conductor

Twin towns – sister cities

Sondrio is twinned with: *

Radovljica Radovljica (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Slovenia, town in the Upper Carniola region of northern Slovenia. It is the administrative seat of the Municipality of Radovljica. Geography The town is located on the southern slope of the Karawan ...

, Slovenia * São Mateus, Brazil *

Sindelfingen Sindelfingen ( Swabian: ''Sendlfenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg in south Germany. It lies near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe (a tributary of the river Würm), and is home to a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant. The current mayor ...

, Germany

Sports

Sondrio Calcio is the football club of the city and currently plays in

Serie D The Serie D () is the highest level of semi-professional football in Italy, and the fourth tier of the Italian national league system. It sits beneath the third and lowest fully professional league, Serie C, and feeds in to it through promotion ...

Climate

References

External links

Official website

Sondrio weather website
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Lombardy