Make sure you visit: – Mount Poieto, which dominates Aviatico and can also be reached by the fun of a cable car. It offers ample space, games for children, a fallow deer reserve and a restaurant with tremendous views.
– The Cornagera comprises canyons and walls, offering great climbing and incredible views that range from the high Bergamascan peaks to the Alps, the valley and on to the Lombardy plain.
– The old nets with decoys to attract birds dot the clearings of the Altipiano, a reminder of times when hunting was a necessity rather than a luxury; today, they are extremely useful observation posts for the study of ornithology.
– The mysteries of the sky: there is an astrological observatory of the Orobic Prealps 1,200 metres up on the slopes of Mount Poieto; it has a powerful telescope that takes the eye 350 million light years into space among the stars at night, and permits the observation of the sun in white light during the day.

Casnigo is at an altitude of 514 metres on a high plain that dominates a long tract of the left bank of the River Serio at about 23 kilometres from Bergamo. Even today, the villagers call this plateau Agher, from ager, the Latin word for field, country, and is an alluvial deposit that was intensely cultivated in the past for its fertility, but today is partly occupied by the chemical and textile industries. The Colle Bondo hamlet, which is on the other side of the valley at between 800 and 1,100 metres, still maintains its mainly agricultural traditions today. The main hamlet of Serio, which hosts important factories, is on the valley floor on the bank of the river of the same name at an altitude of around 400 metres.

Cazzano stretches from the slopes of Mount Farno, where there is the residential area, to the Leffe antenna location. Once, the village’s land extended as far as the foot of Mount Bue, bordering with lower Cene Valle Rossa. That bulge was established in the early 17th century when, after the plague, it was decided to reorganise the borders of the Val Gandino municipalities, giving Cazzano access to water not only in the Romna stream beneath the residential area, but also the stream Doppia in Valle Rossa. This was because the Romna was already being used by the first factories in Gandino, which produced the esteemed coarse Bergamascan cloth.

The population of Cene stands at 4,212 and it is located on the left bank of the River Serio at the outlet of the Valle Rossa and the slopes of Mount Altino. The centre, which is 15 kilometres north east of Bergamo, is formed by the fusion of two old villages called Lower Cene and Upper Cene, which have existed since 1035, and are separated by the Doppia stream. The original Latin name was Caenum meaning mud, indicating the area in which the River Serio stagnated. The name Cene appeared for the first time in a document dated 968 with the mention of Gaudeverto Capitaneus de Cene.

Cene’s strategic position ensured the village had a leading role in valley matters: in Roman times, fortifications and village walls were built, while in the medieval era no fewer than three castles with seven towers were constructed. The towers, however, were completely destroyed, but there are still some small parts of the castles visible today; they include the ruins of both the first at Castel on the slopes of Mount Bue, and the second on the side of Mount Pizzo. The third was on the site at which there is the parish church today, with its tower converted into a belfry. In this period, the village was divided into Upper Cene under the jurisdiction of the authorities of Gandino and the Ghibelline faction, and Lower Cene, which was placed under the protection of the Council Major of Albino, of the Guelph faction. The parish church was built in 1142 and is dedicated to San Zenone, later to be rebuilt in 1749 by architect Luca Lucchini di Certenago and extended in 1929.

In 1965, a landslide in Cene uncovered s small strata just a few centimetres wide packed with fossils, especially of fish and crustaceans; there were also flying reptiles called eudimorphodons and peteinosauruses. The fossilised strata dates back to the superior Triassic period and is made up of calcified rock. The abundance of marine life confirms that this area was at one time under the sea. However, the presence of the flying reptiles indicates that some sectors of land had emerged from the water. Finding the Cene fossilised strata, where a Paleontologist Park was opened, led to the discovery of more fossils similar to those of other Bergamascan and Brescian locations. As far as leisure time is concerned, it is obligatory to mention the cycle track of the Valle Seriana, which passes through municipalities along the course of the River Serio. Ideal for walks and riding bikes amid nature, far from traffic, permitting the rediscovery and enhancement of spaces once abandoned by negligence.

The first document that mentions the village (in vicis colligiate) dates back to 928. That term still exists today in the local dialect, where the name of the village is pronounced Colgiat. But it appears that the zone was inhabited in the times of the Roman Empire, to the point that prisoners sentenced to hard labour in the stone mines near Val del Riso stayed here. After having taken part in political destiny of the rest of the valley, in 1818 it absorbed Bondo and Barbata (Colzate) and in 1920 the parish was made autonomous.

The area offers numerous itineraries: visitors can start an easy and relaxing walk along the pedestrian/cycle track that was recently constructed as it winds along the banks of the River Serio; or they can take on excursions as far as Mount Cavlera. Anyone who does go for a walk in this area cannot miss the Sanctuary of San Patrizio above village in a position of absolute dominance. Built in 1570, the sanctuary has a square layout and Roman-style columns. Inside there are numerous frescoes and paintings, among them a pictorial cycle by Cavagna. The parish church dates back to 1000 and was dedicated to San Maurizio to protect it against the fears associated with that year. It was enlarged a number of times and underwent a major restoration in 1968. It hosts works by Andrea Fantoni, including the pained Madonna with Christ her lap, and a statue of the Virgin.

Among the events held in Colzate are the area’s palio: for about one month from the beginning of June the five areas – Bucaneve, Stella Alpina, Viola, Ciciamino and Margherita – challenge each other in games for children and adults. The palio ends with a day in Bondo at which the last races take place and a barbecue is organised for those who take part.

A walk in the village centre is the moment in which to admire a succession of buildings, churches and towers, among them the 14th century Palazzo del Vicario, now the municipal building in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, with its traditional portico construction of the Lombardy court of justice, and the Salone della Valle. There are also many old manor houses in the area that once belonged to the wool manufacturers’ families, who made Gandino famous throughout Europe from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Not far away is the Baroque Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, one of the major monuments of the Province of Bergamo. The San Mauro church is annexed to the Orsoline Convent and hosts a precious relic: the habit of S. Padre Pio da Pietrelcina, which is displayed in the Basilica each year on 23 September in memory of the saint, for popular veneration.

The cloths, the sacred drapes, the lace, the gold and silver that constitute the wealth of the Basilica, are kept in the nearby Museo di Arte Sacra, which is one of the most important of its kind in Europe. Two particular sections are devoted to textile art and nativity scenes. Each year, Gandino holds prestigious events such as high level concerts at the Basilica, recreation including the Gustar Gandino (Taste Gandino), a food and wine walk and the festivals of the hamlets Cirano, Barzizza and Mount Farno.

The village centre offers interesting home prospects of prestigious buildings to be restored and enhanced, while the peripheral zone has more modern accommodation in an especially pleasant panoramic environment.

Leffe has a population of about 4,880 and is in the Province of Bergamo on the eastern side of the Val Gandino, a turn-off from the Val Seriana and is 22 kilometres from Bergamo city. The village has provided numerous fossil sites, found in the lignite mines in the Fifties that date back to times way before man made his first appearance: the bones of elephas meridionalis, rhinocerous lepthorinus and Bos are now kept in the Bergamo Museum of Natural Science and the natural history museum in Milan.

The village’s many historic buildings are almost a testimony to the level of wealth of the inhabitants even many centuries ago, due to wool production. The most significant are the 16th century Palazzo Pezzoli, the late Renaissance Palazzo Galizzi and Palazzo Mosconi with the domination of the Serenissima. The San Michele parish church is of considerable artistic note; built in the 18th century, it contains works by Andrea Fantoni including his venerable Madonna Addolorata.

Other churches include the Sanctuary of San Rocco in the hamlet of the same name and the church of San Martino, the ex-parish church in which can be found important paintings by Pombioli depicting the glorification of the Madonna, as well as others by A. Carra and Fiorini. The other smaller churches are at Mount Croce that previously belonged to Peia, the Church of S. Antonio at the refuge, the Chapel of Bozzola in the same area, where over 5,000 relics of saints are kept, and the church at the village’s old people’s home.

There are different versions of the origin of the name Nembro – or Nèmber in the Bergamascan dialect – and one of them is linked to Nemus meaning wood. The second suggests its origin is Nimbula from the Latin word for cloud. But the third possibility is the most likely and suggests the name is derived from the Celtic Nembren, which means high ground, a name to be found in other parts of the zone. Important archaeological relics of lytic spires have been found going back to the Palaeolithic age, which are now kept in Bergamo’s Museum of Natural Science.

The first document that attested to the existence of the village dates back to the year 800, but a number of finds suggest the municipal territory was inhabited as early as the Roman era. In 1971, 3rd century Roman coins were found near the Carso stream. And three funereal inscriptions going back to the Roman conquests also surfaced: the first is a burial stone with a bust of one Lucio Celio Corneliano; the second is a sepulchral inscription to a certain Mogizione; the third is an epigraph of one Bal bio Rufo of the Palatine tribe. The medieval epoch was equally rich in village occurrences, which was the centre of the ecclesiastical people of Val Seriana, the most important and oldest of the 12 parishes in which the Bergamo diocese was sub-divided and had within its ecclesiastical jurisdiction 48 district parishes, together with Clusone. Of that period is the tower of the Plizolis family (today called Pelliccioli) built in 1413 for defence purposes, but subsequently re-dimensioned.

Of notable artistic interest is the rural archpresbyterial church dedicated to San Martino, Bishop of Tours, constructed in 1424 but completely rebuilt between 1752 and 1777 by architect Luca Lucchini of Certenago.

The village has a rich and ancient history: in fact, it seems the area was inhabited during the Roman era, when many slaves were brought here to work in the nearby iron ore mines. Once they had served their time, they were allowed to stay and cultivate the land. So the name comes from the Latin Pilia or Pèa in dialect.

The art of working with wool has taken place in the village since medieval times, so that, to describe the kind of fabric produced here, which was much prized, the name Peina was coined. There are ruins from medieval times in Peia Alta, including an ancient citadel which is now demolished and originally built for defensive purposes. The village remained under the administration of nearby Gandino until 1542, when all the small areas were united to make up Peia. The odd thing about those small zones is that they were given the names of the people who lived in them: Cà Bertocchi, Cà Zenucchi, Cà Rottigni and Cà Bosio.

There are a number of churches spread across the municipality: the main one is, undoubtedly, the Parish Church of San Antonio da Padova, which goes back to the 15th century, and was enlarged three centuries later. The church has an octagonal choir stall as well as works by Cavagna, Francesca Zucco and P. Loverini. The balustrade of 1771 and the 1775 urn of San Antonio were created by sculptor Giuseppe Manni of Gazzaniga. Among the other sacred buildings worth mentioning are the Chapel of Santa Elisabetta, which stands outside the residential area on the path leading to Val Cavallina and Malga Lunga, the Madonna delle Grazie Sanctuary and the San Rocco church.

A village of 4,445 people in the Province of Bergamo, Pradalunga is in the Val Seriana on the left bank of the River Serio about 14 kilometres from Bergamo itself. It is at the foot of Mount Misma, one of the first offshoots of the Orobic Prealps, from the summit of which one can admire the chain of mountains to which it belongs, as well as the Lombardy plain with glimpses of Emilia’s Appennines, extending longitudinally along the progress of its valley to form a unique residential nucleus with the hamlet of Cornale to the south.

A large number of naturalistic itineraries are available, which range from walks in the area adjacent to the River Serio, where a cycle and pedestrian trail was laid recently, which enhanced areas that had become degraded in recent years. Now various kinds of animals can be found there, including seagulls and grey birds that previously seemed to have disappeared from the zone.

The woods above the residential area notably define the countryside and life of the community, attentive to preserving its naturalistic patrimony. The areas of major interest are Mount Misma, the Forcella hill and the attached Sbardellata Valley, the Furca and the Spersiglio zone, where there is a characteristic farm. From there, one can enter the extensive Pradale area with meadows that form a large natural terrace that overlooks the hilly area of Scanzorosciate and gives a breathtaking view over the valley and the Lombardy plain, despite the limited altitude.

A population of 580, the village is at an altitude of around 600 metres in the Province of Bergamo, not far from Lake Endine, and is at the foot of Mounts Pler and Croce at the border between the Cavallina and Seriana valleys.

Its centre mostly retains the structure of centuries ago, with the houses built of cobble stones and elements of brick-laying typical of medieval fortification. And it was in medieval times that the residential zone started to develop and take on its current appearance due to the input of the Suardi family, who in those days owned a large part of the Valle Cavallina, a situation that remained unchanged until the arrival of the Republic of Venice. A new epoch began with the Serenissima in which the village was relegated to a minor role in the valley context, because the noble family lost power. There were also periods in which Bianzano lost its administrative autonomy, being added first to Ranzanico at the end of the 18th century and then Monasterolo at the beginning of the 19th.

The municipality was rebuilt with the establishment of the Lombardy-Veneto reign, only to be incorporated with Spinone in 1927. It was not until 11 April 1955 that it was definitively returned to being an independent municipality. As with the neighbouring municipalities, in recent years the village has seen substantial tourist-residential development, mainly concentrated in the area above the centre, not far from Gaverina Terme.

Ranica has about 6,000 inhabitants and is on the right bank of the River Serio, about five kilometres from Bergamo. At the foot of the hill of the same name, it is the second village one encounters when leaving the provincial capital and many think of it as the first in the Valle Seriana.

In medieval times, Ranica experienced an intense life, as confirmed by the remains of the fortified belt of a castle, which was destroyed by the Guelph in 1362. The ruins are in the castle’s lane, where it is possible to find 14th century portals and walls. Other buildings of that period are in Viandasso, where there is a tower. Villa Beretta and the Patta farmhouse in the same area are of the Renaissance era. Villa Camozzi is a must and was built in the 19th century to become known as the “lounge of the Bergamascan Renaissance”, because cultural and political meetings were held in it at the time. More recently, an important industrial complex has been established: it was in 1870 that Gioacchino Zopfi opened his manufacturing company. To understand the importance of this development to the village, consider that the company’s logo of a toothed wheel also appears in the municipality’s coat of arms. But the factory passed into history due to the first labourers’ revolts of 1919. The first steps towards achieving rights at work were also taken by this company after its workers had been on strike for months, helped by their own initiatives including collections among the local authorities. The company was forced to meet their requests for better working conditions.

Many different walking itineraries in the Ranica hills start from the village, all of them suited to everyone, with easy paths for both pedestrians and mountain bikers. Some of them pass behind farmhouses used as holiday farms, where visitors can stop and enjoy the delights of the food and wine of the area.

The Altipiano boasts of myths of ancient paths and the passing of men at arms or men of peace, to tell us how the village of Selvino was born, here are the historians. Around the year 1000, Salvino Grittis fled from Bergamo, shaken by the civil unrest that was taking place there at the time. He reached the Altipiano and established a village that took his name. Over the centuries, the hamlet has grown in population and enjoyed a thriving economy. Since the last century, the inhabitants have known how to embrace the beauty of the area with enterprise and decided their future was in tourism. And that is how the long tradition of hospitality that Selvino projects today was established as one of the best loved locations in the Orobics. For those who like a dynamic holiday, there are highly modern, open air and covered sports facilities on the Altipiano where all of the most popular sports can be enjoyed. The 25 metre swimming pool for the little ones, the sports centre and covered tennis court offer environments which are technically and qualitatively avant-garde. Then there is the open tennis court, a football pitch, another for seven-a-side, bowls and mini-golf. The children can also enjoy the Tubbies ‘doughnut’ slide and for skating enthusiasts there is the summer rink for roller skaters and roller bladers, which is transformed into a mirror of ice for winter skating. So maximum physical activity and entertainment is available at Selvino during every season of the year.

Ski-ing has the honour of a separate story. The history of the Altipiano is closely associated with alpine ski-ing at an extremely high level. It was here that the pioneers of this marvellous sport found the ideal habitat at the start of the 20th century and began their quest for the world championship. With the establishment of its ski club in 1952, Selvino became an inexhaustible source of champions and has given the national team no fewer than 23 athletes over the last half century, among them winners of Olympic gold Paola Magoni, Deborah Compagnoni and Daniela Ceccarelli. The Selvino Ski Club is the village’s pride and joy and has an unequalled role of honour, which has gained it the maximum recognition of the Italian sport’s governing body CONI, with the award of their gold star of merit. The ski school is among the best in Italy for teaching children and in the summer season operates a practice run on grass, which is covered with artificial snow during the winter.

In the Province of Bergamo 20 kilometres from the capital, Fiorano al Serio has a population of 3,099. Covering an area of less than one square kilometre, it is the least extensive of the more than Lombardy Region’s 1,500 municipalities. Considered the smallest of the Valle Seriana villages, it is situated in a niche in the River Serio, at an altitude of 396 metres.

The first place name coined for Fiorano al Serio goes back to the year 840, when Floriano was mentioned in vico, derived from the aristocratic Roman Florius. In 1166, Barbarossa’s troops plundered and raised the village to the ground, and in medieval times, it became part of the Confederation of Honio, which was dissolved during the 13th century. The Guelph burned it in 1397 and 31 years later it came under the domination of the Serenissima. Under the hegemony of Napoleon Bonaparte, the village was made part of the Cisalpina Republic in 1797 and in 1814, after the fall of the republic, it was ruled by the Austrians until 1859, when it was annexed by the reign of Sardinia. From that moment on, the history of Fiorano has been entwined with that of the Municipality of Gazzaniga, of which it became a part in 1927 during the twenty years of Fascism, then acquired its autonomy once more in December 1947.

Vertova – Èrfa in the local dialect – is a municipality of 4,861 people in the Province of Bergamo about 21 kilometres from the provincial capital in the Valle Seriana, at the junction of the stream of the same name and the River Serio. The bridge shown in the municipality’s coat of arms is the San Carlo, the oldest in the country. Vertova’s name appears in a number of maps dating back to about 1,000; it is also in the constitutional documents and that of subsequent dissolution of the Confederation of Honio in the 11th century. The origin of the name has not been completely ascertained; some read it as the name of the Roman god Vertumno, while others feel it has German roots in the word Wert.

As early as medieval times, textiles were one of the area’s main products and it was with that at the start of the 20th century that industry came to the village. The closure of the big textile manufacturers after the deindustrialisation of the Eighties turned Vertova into a place in which the main productive activity comprised both artisan and small commercial operations. Valle Vertova, with its stream of the same name, is an area of naturalist interest and a local tourist destination as it is one of the most suggestive corners of the mid-Valle Seriana. The Vertova valley is embedded for 12 kilometres from Mount Cavlera and Mount Cedrina right through to the heart of Mount Alben.

Vertova has notable naturalistic and landscape aspects, especially the endemic animals and vegetation that exist exclusively in this area. There are numerous springs, spectacular cascades, gigantic gorges and potholes created over the centuries by the power of water; rough and inaccessible rocky peaks and gentle slopes covered with woods, fields, pastures and studded with characteristic rural settlements. The cart tracks are exclusively on the slopes of the eastern hills, connecting farms and agricultural-forestry areas of pertinence, without intruding on the wild part of the valley, which only has a dense network of paths and mule tracks.

The name Gagianiga comes from medieval Latin word gazzo, meaning a wooded area, Gageniga in the Bergamascan dialect. Prehistoric remains were found in the Corna Altezza cave above Rova at an altitude of 650 metres near the border with Aviatico: they consisted of graves of the Copper Age, ursus, marmot and fox. At the height of the medieval period Gazzaniga was part of Honio, a kind of federation comprising municipal areas of the mid-Seriana Valley formed for various purposes including economics and political. The confederation came to an end on 1263 on the instructions of the Chancellors of Bergamo.

Orders and statutes reached Gazzaniga, together with those of Rova and Fiorano, and were rediscovered by Antonio Tiraboschi. They were a copy of the original code that had been lost and was called Missalettus, dating back to 1260. The transcription is from 1748: the code is composed of 12 sheets containing 78 orders. The original is kept at the Civic Library of Bergamo section 5, 1/7).

The municipality’s coat of arms shows a magpie (gazza in Italian), which was derived from the name of the village.

The vast mountainous territory has a narrow valley bottom with high and steep knolls and slopes entirely covered by thick beech, fir, larch, birch and alder woods, which ‘dress’ the whole slope with a beautiful green, softening the roughness. Gradually, from the bottom of the valley the terrain climbs and levels out with flatter sections that open up in the guise of an amphitheatre from which houses and cultivation rises, ending with the peaks of the two mountains: to the north is Grem (2,049 metres), to the south west Mount Alben (2,019) which imposes its massive bulk on the entire valley.

All the inhabited areas are at over 700 metres, and being exposed from morning ‘till noon, surrounded by meadows and woods, offering visitors magnificent walks. The Riso stream flows to the foot of Grem near Cantoni and divide the territory into two almost equal parts, broadening itself with a contribution of other nearby valleys, in particular Val Noseda and Val Piana terminating its course as a right hand tributary of the River Serio. The resultant beneficial waters of the River Riso has for centuries driven a number of mills, a forge and a ‘track’, contributing substantially to the development of the municipality’s economy.

But according to other sources the name comes from the fact that there was a bridge over the Nossa stream that ended its run by flowing into the Serio in the village. The valley through which the water flowed was called the Nossana and was rich in deposits of zinc extracted from numerous mines now in disuse. Exploiting the energy of the Nossa’s water produced many hammers for metal work, some of which were still in operation until a few years ago and it is possible to visit the Museum of the Magli.

In more recent times, major textile and mining companies have given the village a typically industrial flavour. Unfortunately, the two most significant and long established factories have ceased operations. The Annunciazione di Maria Parish Church was built in 1462 and re-structured in the early 20th century. It is a place of pilgrimage and an object of popular veneration due to the miracle of the crying Madonna, which is said to have taken place on 2 June 1511 and was documented by a notary act at the time. The Madonna is shown with St. John in a polyptych, reproducing crucifixion of Christ and is well kept.

In April, people cut down a fir tree in the woods of the area after which it is decorated and paraded through the streets of the village, where it is blessed on the church square; after having been carried to the summit of Pizzo Guazza, on 1 May it is planted at the side of the Madonna’s statue. On the evening of 1 June, the fir is then cut down and burned, while in the valley the village prepares for the Appearance of the Madonna of the Tears celebration, which takes place on 2 June and includes singing and dancing accompanied by a firework display.

The municipality is divided into these areas: Campolungo, Ponte or San Bernardino, Capra Bassa, Capra Alta, Oltre Serio (Spiazzi, Scalvina) and Prealpina Inferiore.

Over 900 metres of grazing land and shepherds’ huts are strewn across the slopes and rocky crests that reach up to an altitude of the 2,512 metre Pizzo Arera. The village is one of the oldest in the Valle Seriana: as revealed in the Latin documents written by Primolus and Primulus deducing that Premolo is the equivalent of primus locus; those who read of the geographic configuration of the village love to see the mole or breakwater that juts out to the left above the River Serio on the valley floor: Pizzo Formico is written in medieval Latin Pre Molum, the village that opens out in front of the mountain opposite Mount Molo.

Archaeological finds of the remains of skeletons and a number of flint tools were discovered in 1963 at the Canal D’Andruna, a ravine used for burials in the Bronze Age in Valle Dossana testify to the presence of man as early as 3,000 years BC. The origin of the S. Andrea parish church dates back to 1290. Two religious festivals are close to the villagers’ hearts: they are those of the patron Saint Andrea, which is celebrated on the last Sunday of November and that for joint patron saint S. Defendente, which takes place on the first Sunday of September and is in memory of the vote of 2 January 1630, enabling the Premolo people to be protected from the scourge of the plague.

On the borders between Premolo and Parre there is the source of the Nossa stream, a tributary of the River Serio. That location is on the floor of the most important valley, the Dossana. The visible rocks are an open book where one can read the natural phenomena which, in the various geological periods, helped shape the valley: from the presence of a vast tropical sea in which the rocks packed with fossils were formed, the surfacing accompanied by volcanic elements, of our mountains from the bottom of the sea, under the impact of cyclopean primordial forces. In the course of this long geological evolution pervaded by the fracture of the rocks and enriched them with minerals and metals. So today, the Val Dossana is a real living geological tract.

Once the necessary emancipation had been completed at the end of the 12th century, the municipality was instituted and governed by two consuls. After having been subjected to the consequences of the civil war and the alternation of the various rules, the upper Valle Seriana, of which Parre has always been a part, sent its representatives to Venice to declare the valley’s to His Serene Highness and to request help and protection. The domination of the Republic of Venice, characterised by the conservation of the institutions already in operation, ended in 1797 with the arrival of the French troops. Neither the subsequent Austrian domination nor the events of the Risorgimento have ever upset the people of Parre much, as they have always shown a “generally quiet public spirit”.

For centuries, Parre was an area of farmers and shepherds, who took the flocks to Oltrepò Pavese and Piedmont in the winter and roamed the Valtellina and Poschiave valleys with them in the summer, after which they supplied wool to Gandino and various other wool mills of the valley. The village has retained its division into two distinct residential areas intact, lower Parre (Par sota in the Bergamascan dialect) and upper Parre (Par sura) and has expanded, to take in almost all the hamlets such as Agher, Costa Erta, Campella and Valzella, which were once embroiled in agriculture. Picturesque traces of this distant past still remain in the form of old houses with strong stone walls, attractive balconies, windows, pillars and arches, like the Cominelli House in lower Parre, home of the Barons Belleboni, who became the Princes Von Paar in Austria; or those next to the Arch of St. Cristoforo or in Via Tiraboschi.

But the most relevant artistic treasures are kept in the churches – the parish dedicated to S. Pietro and the small church of St. Rocco, Enchanting due to their environment and the view are the 16th – 18th century Orotorio SS. Trinità on Mount Cusen and that of the 17th century S. Antonio on Mount Alino.

But for those who visit Cerete the village has another pleasant surprise: its identity marked by the ancient passage of industrious, nobles and influential people. For instance, one could discover traces of tracts of steep cobbled roads still partially limited by paving stones near the mills that have survived, still obstinately in working order despite the rigours of past centuries.

In 1905, Baradello wrote, “Perhaps no Bergamascan village has as many murals as Cerete Alto. On the walls of the houses, at the roadside it is a real display of ancient paintings”. And it was exactly like that both inside and outside the houses until a few decades ago. Especially in the two parish churches, the Sanctuary della Nativita di Maria in Novezio and the sepulchral chapel of the noble Marinoni family in Cerete Alto – the art is real, representing some of the most significant names of all times and where roots were put down copiously and deeply.

The village is at the foot of a natural escarpment exposed to the south, which is the limit of an ancient fluvioglacial ‘terrace’, its area at an elevation of about 50 metres and stands at an altitude of 700 metres. The entire plain comprises recently terraced alluvions separated by small morphological escarpments from the current alluvion belts by two streams, around 20 metres lower down. Onore is surrounded by hills and mountains, among them Mount Cornet (1,429 metres), Vallevrina Point (1,401), Campo Peak (1,365), the Pù (841) and Falecchio (904) high plains. Like many other villages and towns in Italy and the rest of Europe, the origin of the name Onore can be found in the kind of pine woods that were prevalent in its area: the alder, which is unés in the Bergamascan dialect. That is the most credible hypothesis even if there are more recent ones that suggest Onore is a derivative of Lanorium (village of wool) and subsequently Honore (a complex of feudal rites). The village’s main attraction in an artistic sense is certainly its S. Maria Assunta parish church, of which the patron festival day is 15 August, which was built in the 18th century on high ground at the entrance to the residential area to a project mooted by Andrea Fantoni. In 1909 the church was lengthened under the direction of architect Elia Fornoni, who added an interior atrium limited by a monumental Serliano arch. The smaller churches are also interesting from the traditional point of view, including the S. Antonio Abate on the road to the Val de Tede and the S. Antonio da Padova in the Righensol area.

On the wall of one house in Onore, one can admire a large fresco of S. Alberto cutting grass with a scythe.

The Onore coat of arms embodies symbols of its activities: at the top are spindles for spinning wool, below is a pine wood and a sheep to recall the village’s agricultural past.

Mount Falecchio and the Pizzo Formica chain have no intermediate mountains, since downhill there is the River Borlezza. The plain is called Agro (Agher) and at the bottom of it there is San Lorenzo. From a study carried out by Professor Rocco Zambelli all of this area, which extends from Castione della Presolana to Clusone and Lovere, was originally under the sea until it gradually emerged and its definitive movement took place around 20 million years ago, revealing Dolomite-like rock. In ancient times, the streams ran over different routes. For example, the River Serio flowed past the Cantoniera della Presolana and flooded the land from Castione to Clusone. The situation gradually modified itself so that the Serio changed its course, but another stream that flowed towards Sovere slowly started to erode the land and that is how the current Valle Borlezza was formed, where the stream started at one stage to cut an underground river bed that came out behind Castro. Two million years ago the Valle Borlezza took its essential line and the stream continued to transport material, softening the surroundings. With the passing of time, that material became solid to create a kind of highly prized marble that was later used for the construction of altars for the area’s churches. There were also glaciations to which the Valle Borlezza resisted, but it still influenced the formation of the Formico chain’s rock, in that by the water continually freezing and melting it became brittle.

This is a Valle Seriana town about 100 kilometres from Milan and 45 from Bergamo. It nestles in the Orobic pre-alps and has extensive territory covering 42 square kilometres, with altitudes ranging from the 780 metres of the Gera stream to 1,297 metres of the Passo della Presolana, then climbing to the 2,521 metres of the Pizzo della Presolana. The villages of Bratto, Dorga, Lantana and Rusio are all part of the Castione municipality.

The town’s geographic position is especially interesting and has been a mecca of both summer and winter tourism since the early 20th century, offering a whole range of attractions to suit all tastes and interests. Castione della Presolana has a rich alpine tradition associated with the mountain from which it takes its name, and more recently the numerous practice walls for the sport of climbing, among which the best known are in the Valle dei Mulini and the Corna Rossa.

Castione’s environmental characteristics are typical of mountain territory and that combines with a dry and healthy climate. The vegetation and fauna typical of a pre-alp zone are extremely varied and the flora also includes many rarities. There is also significant archaeological evidence of the recovery of a number of tombs that date back to the Neo-Eneolithic period, while the churches of the area embody historic and artistic testimonies of considerable value. Also of great importance is the ancient rural architecture, a true minor art, which has repeated for centuries layouts and structures marked by an essential sobriety.

Mentioning the renowned Fanzago planetary clock raises another element that characterises Clusone: time. From that point of view, a visit to the Marinoni Barca building is a must as it is the centre of the Museum of Art and Time, which is well known throughout Europe for its significant collection of tower clock mechanisms dating from the 14th to the 20th century; and visitors should not overlook the considerable collection of paintings and sculptures by Clusone artists who later became famous, such as Carpinoni, Cifrondi, Nazzari, Querena, Trussardi Volpi and others. Clusone also stands for uncontaminated alpine nature: in fact, taking the equipped paths visitors can immerse themselves in woods, pine forests and pastures taking excursions, horse riding or mountain biking.

There is a multiplicity of routes to take: from the town, one can walk up to S. Lucio at about 1,000 metres to enjoy an unequalled view of the entire upper Valle Seriana and the Dolomite-like Mount Presolana, which become even more impressive moving on to Pizzo Formico at 1,650 metres. Or one could select more demanding routes, taking advantage of the nearby Orobic path that crosses all the mountains of the same name, from Refuge Laghi Gimelli to Refuge Albani. In addition, Clusone is a well positioned starting point for the alpine ski runs of Mount Pora, the Passo della Presolana and Colere, all of them just a few minutes away as are various other ski stations. Then there is the Nordic ski ring at which world cup competitions have been held; and Lake d’Iseo is just as easy to reach at about 15 kilometres away.

On 10 July 2008, Clusone received the Bandiera Arancione (Orange Flag) awarded by the Touring Club Italiano.

The oldest building in Piario is in Via Mazzoletti. It has 13th century frescoes which have been partly preserved; some bowls and other utensils that have come to light indicate that it was once a monastery. It is a large building with arches supported by low pillars with small oval windows inserted into them. The Candrietti area has the 14th century house in which Monsignor Speranza was born; he was named Bishop of Bergamo by Pope Pius IX in 1853.

One can also form an idea of a rural house when visiting Piario by making one’s way to the Cadoriano area, where an old house can be seen, in part re-structured with a small courtyard and a barn on the top floor. In the Bruco area one can admire a large stone building with its beautiful windows that suggest how the whole area must have been in times gone by.

Today, it is still possible to admire the entrance to a farmstead, which dates back to 1214. The house later became a convent and a sanctuary was built, of which the apse walls can still be seen; the sanctuary was destroyed by a landslide in 1813. In the friars’ refectory now there is a chapel, while the seven old cells on the top floor have been transformed into private dwellings. Villa’s new church was built on a clearing not far from the old in 1937. It is a captivating building with a Latin cross and a unique nave all in hand worked local stone. The small church of S. Lorenzo is also worth visiting, as it has been well preserved and can be found on the road to Nasolino.

In olden days, the village’s activities were closely associated with those of Gromo. In medieval times, steel work and the production of steel weapons was rife. Novazza became famous because of its uranium mine, which was never developed. All of Valgoglio’s territory is, however, rich in minerals, which includes a native kind of gold. The village’s economy is generated by the exploitation of its agricultural and forestry resources, summer tourism and the hydroelectric industry.

In the old days, Ardesio’s economy was based on the exploitation of its agricultural and forestry resources and its mining industry, of which its silver mines were well known. But today, its economy is commercial, linked to seasonal tourism and holidaymaking. The municipality comprises Ardesio itself and the hamlets of Valcanale, Zanetti, Marinoni, Bani, Cerete, Cacciamali, Ludrigno, Valzella, More, Piazzolo, Ave and Botto Alto, some of which are now uninhabited.

Valcanale

As well as being the name of the valley that open out to the west of the village, Valcanale is also the municipality’s principal hamlet. The main inhabited area, which is immersed in fir tree woods, stands at almost 1,000 metres above sea level, at the foot of Pizzo Arera (2,512 metres) and is the parish centre. At its highest point in the hamlet of Babes, there is a small lake in which are reflected the Dolomite-like peaks that surround the village. Valcanale is extremely popular with excursionists of all levels throughout the year. Numerous summer and winter itineraries begin from here, where the Orobic path also starts; the Refuge Alpe Corte is an hour’s walk from Valcanale and that is the first stage of the long itinerary that leads to the Passo della Presolana. The experts can climb Pizzo Arera (2,512 metres), Cima di Corna Piana (2,302 metres), Cima Valmora (2,198 metres) and Mount Corte (2,493 metres) or make their way to Refuge Laghi Gemelli, about a three hour walk. During the winter months, the track that leads to the Refuge Alpi Corte is suitable for walks with snow shoes and there are numerous itineraries for alpine skiers, but these must be undertaken in safe snow conditions.

Along the Valcanale from Ardesio there are other hamlets and suburbs which are equally fascinating, as well as a number of high quality nature sites like Nevaio Val Las which, at an altitude of 1,000 metres and at the foot of the imposing wall of Mount Secco (2,267 metres), is the lowest perennial snowfield of all the alps. The surrounding area has a variety of flowers typical of the higher altitude zones and is a unique eco-system, visited by scholars and botany enthusiasts. Lastly, there is Bani, a hamlet in an especially panoramic area and which hosts a museum devoted to Don Brignoli, well known as the ‘ol’ priest of Ba’.

Its centre boasts significant monuments such as the Ginami Castle, the 15th century municipal building decorated inside by a series of frescoes of the arms market, the little San Gregorio church inside which one can admire a beautiful 17th century altar piece by Enea Talpino, many noble houses dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The 18th century parish church is well worth visiting and is dedicated to S. Giacomo and S. Vincenzo, and is embellished with a wooden altar of the Fantoni school, as well as paintings and frescoes of notable artistic value. Winter sport is concentrated on Boario-Spiazzi-Vodala, where enthusiasts enjoy alpine and Nordic ski-ing. Today, the village’s economy is based on tourism, artisan wood work and the hydro-electric industry.

On 10 July 2008, Gromo obtained the Bandiera Arancione (Orange Flag), awarded by the Touring Club Italiano.

On 10 October 2008, the village was recognised as qualified to become part of the Borghi Più Belli d’Italia (Most Beautiful Villages of Italy).

Gandellino is the penultimate town of the upper Valle Seriana and stands on the left bank of the River Serio, at the entrance to the splendid Val Sedornia. With its hamlet of Gromo S. Marino and the districts of Tezzi, Bondo, Foppi, Pietra and Garbiasca, Gandellino is a mini-agricultural centre with other small businesses active in summer tourism. The town is 675 metres above sea level and currently has a population of 1,070.

A study of Gandellino and Gromo S. Marino brought to light a vast rural architectural patrimony, which is intimately associated with the local culture and to which attention is paid to ensure it is safeguarded. The history of the town coincides with that of the Valle Seriana but for a clearer idea of its past, we give below an extract from the 17th century document called “Gandellino: once said to be ‘Beyond the Dragon’”.

“It is a village in the upper Val Seriana in the district and under the guardianship of Clusone, on the left bank of the River Serio just above Gromo S. Giacomo and slightly below Gromo S. Marino; and it has communication with the provincial road that passes along the other bank of the river. In olden days, its municipal area formed a municipality with the first of these two towns on its border; now, it is paired with the latter but when it was a municipality with Gromo S. Giacomo, it enjoyed many prerogatives and dignity.

Gandellino is divided into two districts, Gandellino and Tezzi; but the parish extends beyond those of Gromo S. Giacomo, to hamlets called Bettuno Alto, Bettuno Basso, Riva Superiore and Riva Inferiore. Its territory, with the exception of the small tract along the bed of the River Serio, comprises all the slopes of the large mountain ranges that skirt both banks of the river. It has few rye and wheat fields, the rest chiefly pastures and copses, from which they extract wood and coal… In the area of the Sedornia stream, which flows into the Serio, even today there are the vestiges of a large steel smelting furnace with three forges and a building called a grinder, in which they temper swords for sale”.

This municipal area is in the upper Valle Seriana and essentially comprises three large villages. The centre is Bondione, a village surrounded by meadows and woods in the heart of the Orobics at the foot of high mountains among which are three of over 3,000 metres – Pizzo Coca, Redorta and Scais – a coveted destination for enthusiasts.

Valbondione is also known for the delightful spectacle that it offers thousands of tourists every year, such as the waterfall created by the River Serio, an impressive drop of 315 metres to which the river provides the origins, precipitating from Piano del Barbellino down as far as the amphitheatre at the top of the small village of Maslana.

It should also be remembered that the various churches in the area host numerous beautiful works of art.