The Village of Malesco
Malesco is a small village in the beautiful Vigezzo Valley, located in the Piedmont Alps, between Domodossola and Switzerland. A territory with breathtaking landscapes and stone villages that offers enchanting atmospheres in every season.
The Vigezzo Valley is known as the valley of painters, thanks to the historical tradition of painting and includes seven municipalities including Malesco, consisting of the capital and the villages Finero and Zornasco. Municipality of the Val Grande National Park, which has the largest wilderness area in the Alps, in 2007 it was awarded the Bandiera Arancione by the Italian Touring Club.
For over twenty years it has hosted Malescorto, an international festival of short films that takes place at the end of July.
As part of the protection of local products, an association called Accademia dei Runditt was born, aimed at the protection of a traditional dish, candidate to the Food Community of Slow food. Since 2016, a festival is organized in the historic center of the country, dedicated to three traditional specialties: runditt (thin wafers made of flour and water), turtei (a kind of pancake) and turte ad San Per, the cake of St. Peter, dedicated to one of the patron saints of the country, traceable to the traditional panelatte cake.
We invite you to discover Malesco through a walk in the historical center among small squares and hidden corners, historical buildings, frescoes, museums that enclose history and tradition. Treat yourself to a break in the woods and picturesque landscapes at the gates of the Val Grande, satisfying the palate with products that recall ancient flavors.
The flagship of Malesco is its regional Eco-museum, established in 2007 and named after the Soapstone and the Stonemasons (Ed Leuzerie and Scherpelit in the local dialect).
The Ecomuseum protects the cultural, environmental and traditional heritage; it includes points of interest scattered throughout the territory and three museum structures: a washhouse with a permanent exhibition dedicated to the first person to cross the English Channel by swimming, Giovan Maria Salati, a historic mill located in Zornasco and the Archaeological Museum, managed in collaboration with the National Park.
In Malesco, the Eco-museum has found fertile ground in the enhancement of intangible assets because the population is strongly linked to their roots, as evidenced, among other things, by the heartfelt participation in the historical Carnival Malesco, now in its 142nd edition, which seems to have ancient origins, now in its 142nd edition, which seems to have much more ancient origins.
Photo ©Christian Guerra
