A massive church tower, the horizontal wooden wheel of the Mulino di Calonico and the Strada Alta give Calonico a distinctive character for a stay in Leventina. The village combines local history with its setting on the sunny terrace on the valley’s left-hand slope.
Terraced village and townscape
Calonico is an outlying settlement in the municipality of Faido in the Valle Leventina and lies at an elevation of around 981 metres. About 50 residents live across an area of 3.2 square kilometres. The village lies along the Strada Alta; the terraces around it bear witness to intensive farming and livestock rearing in the past. Calonico is listed in ISOS, the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of National Importance.
Church of San Martino and historic houses
The parish church of San Martino stands on a rocky outcrop and has been documented since the 13th century. The building has Romanesque origins and was extensively altered in the 17th century. The massive Romanesque bell tower, which dates probably from the 12th century, has survived from the earlier church building. The church’s location offers wide-ranging views over central Leventina; the building is also visible from the valley floor. The church became an independent parish in 1594. A 18th-century statue of the Virgin Mary stands on the polychrome wooden altar.
The village centre has several wooden houses with stone-slab roofs. Their log-cabin construction is associated with the Walser people’s passage through the area. One of these houses, Casa Regina, was built in 1684 and renovated after 1984. Its log-built wooden structure is joined to a masonry section on the mountain side.
Mulino di Calonico: milling technology and bread oven
The Mulino di Calonico dates from 1813 and is considered an important historical witness to the culture and technology of Leventina. It operates with a horizontal wooden wheel; its operation depends on the amount of water available. Careful restoration was carried out in several stages up to 1994. The mill has been operating again since 1994 and was inaugurated in 1995. The restored mill can be visited. Historically, it was used mainly to grind chestnuts, rye and barley.
In 2023, the Pro Mulino di Calonico association built a wood-fired bread oven beside the mill. It offers the opportunity to bake delicious bread, the traditional Torta di pane or pizza together. Check in advance whether participation is possible. The mill festivals take place every year; at the Festa del mulino on 31 May 2025, held as part of the Swiss-wide Swiss Mill Day, the mill and bread oven were demonstrated. Check the dates for the specific year of your trip.
Strada Alta and hiking plans
A lower-lying variant of the Strada Alta passes through meadows and forests towards Calonico. The second stage of the Strada Alta runs from Osco to Anzonico. Route data updated on 23 April 2024 give a distance of 13.3 kilometres, with 480 metres of ascent and 628 metres of descent. The stated descent is therefore greater than the ascent. Check local trail conditions before setting out.
Getting there and choosing where to stay
Calonico is six kilometres from Lavorgo and can be reached from there via a cantonal road. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Calonico, when planning you can consider whether to focus your stay more on local history or on the hiking options along the Strada Alta.
For the broader travel overview: Faido.
