Your holidays on Lake Maggiore
One of the most important valleys in the Verbano area, located in the Lepontine Alps, it stretches from Verbano (Lake Maggiore) to the Vigezzo Valley and is crossed by the Cannobino stream that flows into the village of the same name.
Characterised by a severe and wild beauty, it stretches parallel to the Gridoni range of rocky mountains that form the border with Canton Ticino.
Populated for centuries, the inhabitants were dedicated to timber production and cattle breeding; in the 15th century they supplied raw materials to the tanneries of Cannobio, at that time an important centre for leather processing.
The villages were connected by mule tracks, some of them are still in use; the oldest parish in Orasso dates back to the 16th century.
It was not until 1860 that a carriage road began to be built to unite Cannobio with the Vigezzo Valley, allowing the mountain area to develop.
In 1911 the population of the valley was 3563 inhabitants, in the decades that followed tourism allowed the development of further services: hotels, the post office and the first telephone line were built along the provincial road.
In the last century, after the wars, economic difficulties drove many to emigrate, and there was a slow, inexorable depopulation of the valley with the downsizing of the rural activities that had sustained its economy over the centuries.
In recent decades, we are witnessing the rediscovery of this historic valley by tourists who appreciate its wildness and tranquility.
The villages of the valley
Cavaglio 500m - Gurrone 700m - Socraggio 450m - Falmenta 700m - Crealla 650m - Spoccia 800m - Gurro 800m - Orasso 700m - Cursolo 900m
Useful links:
Museo etnografico di Gurro e della Valle Cannobina
http://www.museogurro.it/museo/index.html
http://www.vallecannobina.it/
