Valduggia
Valduggia: the medieval village and its symbols
Valduggia is a medieval town in the lower Valsesia area of Piedmont, with about 1,870 inhabitants. The name of the town comes from the ancient part of the village called "Uggia". The territory of Valduggia is mentioned in the food tables of Emperor Trajan from 108 AD and was the capital of the Lower Valley or Court of Valsesia with its own statutes until the 17th century. Today it is a prominent industrial center for hydraulic equipment, but in the past it was famous for its bell foundries.
The symbol of the municipality of Valduggia is an eagle that rests its claws on the two ridges of the valley, symbolizing the Valsesia area itself. The coat of arms and the flag of the municipality were granted by decree of the President of the Republic on September 22, 1963. The flag is a blue cloth.
Monuments and places of interest in Valduggia
Valduggia offers visitors many monuments and places of interest, including many religious buildings. The Archpriest Church of San Giorgio, built in Romanesque style before the year 1000, was enlarged in 1539 and consists of three naves supported by granite columns. It boasts a "Nativity" attributed to Gaudenzio Ferrari and the remains of San Costanzo Martire, donated to the church by the parish priest Giovanni Battista Arecco in 1683. In the chorus, you can admire a polyptych, a work by Bernardino Lanino, a student of Ferrari, painted in 1564, depicting the Virgin with the child and Saint Joseph, surmounted by the Eternal Father and surrounded by the figures of twenty-five saints.
The other religious buildings are the Church of Santa Maria Assunta d'Invozio, the Oratory of San Carlo, the Oratory of San Rocco, the Canonica of San Giorgio and the ossuary. Among the civil buildings, we find the Bridge of Barciuja, the Monument to Gaudenzio Ferrari, the Monument to Giuseppe Gaudenzio Mazzola and the Well of Tears, inaugurated in 1920 to commemorate the Valduggians who fell in the Great War.
Moreover, on the top of the Bastia del Monte Fenera stands a cross that dominates the valley below.
Gaudenzio Ferrari, the painter of Valduggia
Valduggia is famous for being the birthplace of the painter Gaudenzio Ferrari, who left numerous works in the surrounding area. His most important work is undoubtedly the cycle of frescoes in the Rosary Chapel of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Varallo Sesia, a few kilometers from Valduggia. Other works by Ferrari can be found in the Church of Santa Maria Assunta d'Invozio in Valduggia and in the Church of Santa Maria del Monte in Orta San Giulio, on Lake Orta.
How to get to Valduggia
Valduggia is located a few kilometers from Varallo Sesia and can be reached by car or bus. If you arrive by car from Milan, you must take the A8 motorway towards Gallarate, then the Gravellona Toce exit towards the SS299 towards Varallo.
Alternatively, you can take a bus from the Varallo Sesia train station, which connects Valduggia to other municipalities in the area.
Conclusions
Valduggia is a Piedmontese municipality that offers many tourist attractions, including historical monuments and works of art, with a special mention to Gaudenzio Ferrari, the famous painter of the area. The municipality is easily accessible by car or bus from nearby Varallo Sesia. It is worth visiting Valduggia to discover the beauty of the surrounding landscape and its millennial history.
