A day in the enchanting Muggio Valley

(At full capacity, registration is closed)

Morning and lunch: the mill of Bruzella
There were about 100 watermills in the Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio areas until the late nineteenth century. They stood alongside various watercourses. The first mills were built here in the Middle Ages. The oldest known examples in our area are in: Bruzella (dating to 1298), Chiasso (1355), Morbio Inferiore (1471) and Mendrisio (1491). They were traditionally used for grinding cereal crops, as oil presses, as sawmills, as barley crushers and for processing Arzo “marble”.
The object of the visit is the ancient Bruzella Mill, which stands in the beautiful River Breggia valley. It began operating again in 1996, thanks to the restoration work funded by the Ethnographic Museum of the Muggio Valley, which owns it. A visit to the mill provides an understanding of how its various components work. The miller Irene Petraglio will guide you on the premises, and show you how she masters the centuries-old art of producing stone-ground flour using the force of water. Stoneground and hand-sifted yellow or Rosso del Ticino (Ticino Red) cornmeal and other products can be purchased on site. Following the visit, for lunch you will enjoy the traditional "polenta" made with the flour ground on the spot, accompanied by local cheese and cured meat.
Afternoon: an ethnographic walk to Casa Cantoni and in the village of Cabbio
The walk begins in Casa Cantoni, the seat of the Ethnographic Museum of the Muggio Valley and information hub of the "Museum in the Region"; you will discover the essential information needed to understand the ethnographic and historic heritage of the Valley.
The walk continues with a stroll through the village of Cabbio, during which you will encounter fountains, drying houses, chestnut woods, historic roads, terraced landscapes and admire a gorgeous panoramic view of the Muggio Valley.