Morbegno is a village in the province of Sondrio, a connecting link between Lake Como and Valtellina. It is crossed by the Bitto stream, which gives its name to the celebrated PDO cheese produced in the mountain pastures. Lovers of traditional mountain flavours cannot miss a visit to the Fratelli Ciapponi shop, where the artisan rules of processing, curing, ageing and preserving local products have been handed down through generations. The back of the shop is a magical succession of vaults, columns and chambers where wheels of Bitto mature – aged for up to ten years – to be savoured alongside cured meats, wines and Valtellina grappas.
The pleasure of discovering these flavours is no less than the joy of wandering through places steeped in history, culture and beauty, such as Palazzo Malacrida (Malacrida Palace), a remarkable example of Valtellina Rococo, or the Ponte di Ganda (Ganda bridge), built in 1778 to connect the two sides of the valley after a flood had destroyed the previous bridge dating back to the early sixteenth century. Time sometimes erases, sometimes preserves. In Morbegno, it keeps traditions and memory alive, giving back emotions that taste of something good.
Pizzoccheri originate from the area of Teglio, with the first written records dating back to the eighteenth century. A census from 1894 noted: “There are 11 pasta factories in the province of Sondrio… and 611 mills for grinding cereals.” Most of these were powered by the rivers and streams that run abundantly through the mountainous province of Sondrio.
