Valle Vigezzo: The valley of painters and chimney sweeps.

by Osvaldo Bevilacqua 2 February 2024

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I love this valley, a little gem of the Alps, rich in history and natural beauty.

La Vigezzo, with its classic U-shape, crossed by two rivers that share the same name but flow in opposite directions (Melezzo Occidentale and Melezzo Orientale), surprises you when, at the end of the road that ascends from Domodossola, it reveals an enchanting plateau with intense greenery. It’s a preview of a small treasure adorned with elegant architecture, stone chalets, wild slopes, and breathtaking views.

A true paradise for mountain lovers, with its trails capable of satisfying every type of hiking activity. But Val Vigezzo, with its seven municipalities, is also history and culture: Craveggia, known for its refined architecture and noble palaces; Druogno, home to the Postcard Museum; Malesco, headquarters of the Regional Ecomuseum; Re, the spiritual center of the valley, where the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sangue stands; Toceno, from where the main hiking trails start; and Villette, home to the Museum of Peasant Culture.

Among all these picturesque locations, Santa Maria Maggiore stands out, linked to two important traditions of the valley: the fine arts and the ancient profession of chimney sweep. The small town is famous for hosting the “Valentini School of Fine Arts,” an important local institution connected to the charm exerted by the beauty of these places on generations of artists since the 19th century, especially from Lombardy, who left important evidence of their presence on the facades of civic buildings and places of worship. Here, in 1878, Master Giovanni Maria Rossetti Valentini founded the School of Fine Arts, which over time, in a unique case in the Alpine arc, became a hub of attraction and training for numerous Italian and foreign artists.

The history of the valley in Santa Maria Maggiore speaks of another tradition linked to the harsh and wearing work of the chimney sweeps. The valley in the past was indeed affected by a strong migratory phenomenon towards the major cities of the North. Many of the emigrants dedicated themselves to the hard and health-hazardous activity of chimney sweeping. From the municipalities of this valley, thousands of chimney sweeps, many of them very young, especially in the 19th century, went to seek their fortune in Piedmont and Lombardy. It is to their memory that the Chimney Sweep Museum is dedicated, located in Santa Maria Maggiore, where since 1982, the International Chimney Sweep Gathering has been held annually, one of the most beloved and renowned events in Piedmont, a historical reenactment of the ancient profession immortalized in the famous ballet of the chimney sweeps on the rooftops of London, in the classic Disney movie “Mary Poppins.”

The chimney sweep tradition is linked to a story between history and legend, which took place at the beginning of the 17th century when a Vigezzino, originally from Craveggia, a chimney sweep at the French royal court at the Louvre, thwarted a plot against the future King of France, Louis XIII. For this, he was rewarded by the regent Maria de Medici with a concession for the sale of small objects in the kingdom’s towns, which later made his fortune and that of other Vigezzini to such an extent that some of their descendants became the jewelers of the King of France (in Paris, the famous jewelers of “Rue de la Paix” belong to the Mellerio family, natives of Craveggia). Testimonies of this connection with the French court are some precious objects preserved today in the Main Church of Craveggia, including the wedding mantle of Marie Antoinette and the shroud of Louis XIV.

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