Discover Giornico

Giornico is a municipality in the Canton of Ticino and the main town of the Giornico district in the Leventina district. If you are looking for a hotel in Giornico, you can choose your destination based on your interests: Romanesque churches, museums with different focuses and the old village centre shape its cultural offering. Vineyards and chestnut forests surround the village. There is also a circular route suitable for families and children. You can decide whether architectural history, art and collections, or a walk should be the focus of your stay.

Romanesque churches and their architectural history

The Chiesa di San Nicolao was built in the 12th century and is the oldest Romanesque church in the Leventina. It is classified as a national monument. Its crypt has three naves and eight columns with carved capitals. Their decorations feature fantastic animals as well as plant and geometric motifs. The church therefore offers several specific points of interest for anyone interested in Romanesque architecture: its construction period, the form of the crypt and the different motifs on the capitals.

The location of the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Castello is remarkable in itself: it stands on an elevated hill that probably belonged to a castle destroyed by the Urnans in 1518. The church has two parallel naves, built in different phases. The left choir contains frescoes from the first half of the 15th century and a Gothic inscription dating from 1448. Compared with San Nicolao, the focus here is on the different construction phases and later pictorial and written records. The two churches can also be distinguished by their respective historical periods.

The village centre and the history of the Leventina

Giornico’s old village centre is classified as a site of national importance in the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites (ISOS) and consists mainly of stone houses. Together with the churches, it forms a townscape in which historic buildings and the village centre that has developed over time reveal different aspects of the village’s history.

Another historical point of reference is the Battle of Giornico, also known as the Battaglia dei Sassi Grossi. It took place on 28 December 1478 in connection with the conflict over control of the Leventina. This date precedes the destruction of the castle to which the Santa Maria hill probably belonged: the battle dates to 1478, while the Urnans destroyed the castle in 1518. If you are exploring the history of the village, distinguishing between these dates helps keep the two events in their proper chronological order.

Museums with different focuses

The Museo di Leventina has a particularly rich and significant collection of objects, works of art and historical documentation. A visit is possible at any time by reservation; arrange your reservation before travelling. The Museo La Congiunta offers a different focus: built in 1992, the reinforced-concrete building lies north of the village between the River Ticino and the railway line. It brings together sculptures by the artist Hans Josephsohn, created between 1950 and 1990, with an extremely simply designed building by the architect Peter Märkli.

The Museo La Congiunta is open to visitors all year round; the key can be borrowed from the osteria. Before your visit, check the current arrangements for collecting the key. The two museums therefore cater to different interests: an extensive collection of historical objects, works of art and documentation on the one hand, and sculptures presented in a distinctive building on the other.

A circular route as another option

The Un giro a Giornico circular route is suitable for families and children. Check the trail conditions locally before setting out. The route offers another way to spend your time, complementing visits to churches and museums. If you are looking for a hotel in Giornico, these different focuses can help you choose the destination: local history, museum visits or a circular route. Which of these matters to you depends on what you would like to experience during your trip.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Campello, Dalpe, Bedretto, Chironico, Sobrio, Prato, Anzonico, Lavorgo.

For the higher-level travel overview: Leventina.