Holiday apartment in Cavaglio-Spoccia between the Ecomuseum and the Borromea

Holiday apartment in Cavaglio-Spoccia between history and forest trails

A holiday apartment in Cavaglio-Spoccia gives you access to a place where everyday history, sacred art and paths through chestnut forests are closely intertwined. Cavaglio preserves characteristic old corners, while Spoccia has its own distinctive features, with a signposted walking trail to Alpe di Bronte and historic churches. The Via Borromea brings together cultural themes and a landscape where deer, chamois and roe deer may be encountered.

Everyday life at the Lunecco Ecomuseum

The history of Valle Cannobina is at the heart of the Lunecco Ecomuseum. The Centro di documentazione dell’Ecomuseo del Lago e dei Monti in Lunecco preserves objects and documents relating to the everyday life of the inhabitants of Valle Cannobina. The Lunecco Ecomuseum also includes reconstructions of an apartment and an inn. The ethnographic exhibition “Al femin d’in val” focuses on the everyday lives of women in Valle Cannobina up to the mid-20th century.

Visits to the Lunecco Ecomuseum can be organised for school groups by prior arrangement. They are accompanied by members of the Valle Cannobina folklore group. In addition to the historical objects, the site therefore offers a direct insight into regional ways of life.

Frescoes and sacred buildings in Cavaglio

The Parrocchiale di San Donnino in Cavaglio dates from the late Middle Ages and was consecrated in 1517. The church preserves fragments of 16th-century frescoes attributed to Antonio da Tradate. In Cavaglio, the Via Borromea highlights late-medieval frescoes in the Parrocchiale di San Donnino and in the Oratorio della Madonna delle Grazie “del Rì”; these frescoes are often attributed to Antonio da Tradate.

The single-nave Oratorio della Madonna delle Grazie “del Rì” was built in 1670 to enhance an older chapel containing a late-15th-century image of the Madonna. The Oratorio also contains a slab of Candoglia marble regarded as a relic of Christ’s footprint. The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena in Spoccia has been documented since 1445 and was consecrated in 1546. It is connected to the Via Borromea.

Spoccia: staircase, Oratorio and walking trail

A stone staircase with 75 steps and a length of 40 metres leads to the Oratorio della Madonna di Re in Spoccia. The Oratorio is usually closed, but its interior can be viewed through the windows on the façade. For a walk, a signposted trail leads from Spoccia along an old path to Alpe di Bronte. The trail passes through chestnut forests and by old terraces.

The Borromea also passes through extensive chestnut and oak forests. Deer, chamois and roe deer may be encountered in these forests.

Opening hours and possible access

The Lunecco Ecomuseum is open from the end of June to the end of August on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 to 14:00. The Parrocchiale di San Donnino is accessible during weekly services and, outside these times, by request. The Oratorio della Madonna delle Grazie “del Rì” is accessible on the occasion of its annual feast and, outside that period, by request.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Cavaglio-Spoccia, you can therefore focus on the experiences that are important for your trip. Those interested in culture can turn their attention to the Ecomuseum, churches and frescoes. For walks, the signposted trail from Spoccia and the Borromea running through the forests offer specific options.

Other places in the surrounding region

If you would like to discover further destinations in the same regional context, you can find Crevoladossola, Re, Premosello-Chiovenda, Baveno, Macugnaga, Cesara, Passo and Trasquera here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.