Main street names in
Chiavenna
There are a lot of streets in Chiavenna named after famous
people or events. Here are the most famous ones:
Via Francesco Dolzino
Piazza Bertacchi
Piazza Castello
Piazza Pestalozzi
Via Bottonera
Via Cappuccini
Portone Santa Maria
Portone di Santa Maria
Where: Santa Maria is
situated at the southern
entrance to Chiavenna.
It provided a point of
controlled access to the
town.
What is it?
It is a triumphal arch erected in
1741 in honour of Ercole Salis.
The arch has an elegant structure
with baroque frescoes.
Who was Ercole Salis?
He was the Calvinist party chairman who caused
an armed coup d'état in our province (1620).
This event marks the beginning of the period
called Bunder Wirren (Dark Grigioni).
Chiavenna was once part
of the Swiss Grigioni.
PIAZZA GIOVANNI BERTACCHI
The Square is named after the
famous poet Giovanni Bertacchi.
He was born in Chiavenna in
1869 and died in Milan in 1942.
During his life he was a professor
at the university in Padua, he
also did critical studies of Dante,
Leopardi and Manzoni; but his
most important work is the
“Canzoniere delle Alpi” where he
wrote about Valchiavenna, the
valley where Chiavenna lies.
VIA BOTTONERA
The name of this street comes
from the so called “bottoni”, a
type of handmade pebbles that
were rejects of stones used to
make traditional pots. Here you
can visit the museum “Mulino di
Bottonera” where you can see
the age-old Moro mill. Years
ago Bottonera was the craft
district where the Moro factory
produced pasta.
PIAZZA CASTELLO
This square is famous for
its castle, that was built in
1400 and was the
residence of Balbiani
Counts, who were feudal
lords.
It was destroyed by the
Grisons in the early 1500s.
Only the towers and one of
the walls remained intact,
while the rest was rebuilt in
1900. Today the castle is a
private residence.
VIA DEI CAPPUCCINI
This street was named after a
convent of Capuchin friars which
stood there. The convent was
built between 1640 and 1643.
Here the friars developed their
religious activity and years later
they also opened their school.
VIA FRANCESCO DOLZINO
Francesco Dolzino was born in
Chiavenna 31st May 1810. He
was a convinced republican who
contributed to drive the Austrians
out of Lombardy. He was also a
deputy. Francesco spent his last
years in Genoa where on 12th
August 1855 he died of cholera.
PIAZZA PESTALOZZI
The square is named after
Pestalozzi Palace which
belonged to the rich
Pestalozzi family which
moved from Lake Como to
Chiavenna in 1292. Today
the palace belongs to the
municipality of Chiavenna.
Presentation by
Nicolò Bartolucci
Cristina Del Giorgio
Beatrice Folladori
Giulia Mafezzini