Vallemaggia, in Switzerland between stones and notes of Blues

“A valley that branches and divided like a hand: Val di Campo and Val Woods, Bavona, Val Lavizzara and Val of Peccia. A big hand fingers weird and twisted, crossed by the blue veins of the water that comes under the Alpine passes and mountains that surround exact the Vallemaggia and connecting with the valleys close. Onsernone, Formazza, Bedretto, Leventina and Verzasca”. The Swiss writer Piero Bianconi thus defined Vallemaggia, an area of 500 square kilometers which covers one fifth of the Ticino territory. 

We are in the Italian canton of Switzerland, in a valley which itself contains other 'one hundred' all different. The natural wealth of this changing landscape abound, including oxbow lakes (the bends of the river), wells, sandy beaches and beautiful waterfalls. Suffice to say, between the village lower, Avegno at 300 meters, and that in higher, Bosco Gurin at 1500 meters, there is a difference of 1200 meters. It’s precisely in this difference in altitude that develops an incredible diversity of territories. From the valley floor, a unique example in Swiss river landscape in its natural state, to the numerous mountain peaks that reach or exceed the 3000 meters, characterized by typical alpine house.

To enhance the various landscape scenes in the area, this year there will be a traveling show 'Magicblues', now ranks among the major music festivals throughout the region. On warm summer evenings of Ticino, thanks to this open-air music festival until August 6, in the grottos and squares of Vallemaggia resound the blues notes of all the world.

Fundamental element of nature, but also what man has built over time in this valley remains, however, the stone. It’s, in fact, on the 'Stonelive' that today the region wants to lay the image of the area, restoring all those places that are proper and which may bring back in time. How the Spluga Alp, extraordinary example of traditional architecture in ancient stone that is trying to enhance the high Giumaglio Valley, thanks to a refuge for hikers amidst flora and fauna typical of the Alps, embellished by species only presents in pristine environments.
      
It remains to include the Museum of Valmaggia established in 1962 with the aim to save and enhance the testimony of the material culture of the place, historical heritage in the years after World War II was rapidly dispersing. It's of the '63 the first regional folklore museum in Canton Ticino, in Cevio. Since then, thousands of items were collected and carried out extensive research and exhibitions. Today, the Museum of Valmaggia has an extensive documentation on the environment and the population of a major southern Alpine valleys of Switzerland.

The Editor