History & Culture

The steel industry in Alta Valtellina has its roots in history and is one of the most critical drivers of the local economy. The first furnaces are attested in the Bormio area as far back as 1286, precisely in Valdidentro.

Numerous remains of small iron-working furnaces found throughout the district (for example, in Val Fraele and Val del Gallo) in mountains that have always been renowned for sound quality iron veins. Of industrial dimensions is the blast furnace built in the area, which is Ferriere Corneliani's "one of the most perfect in Lombardy."

The Premadio ironworks, active since 1852 and decommissioned in 1875, had several furnaces, four hammers, a rolling mill, and a workshop. Thanks to 400-500 workers cutting wood, extracting ore, and processing and transporting iron, they processed up to 15 tonnes of ore daily.

From Valdidentro in the Middle Ages, the famous 'Via Imperiale d'Alemagna' (Imperial Road of Alemagna) departed, the daring road connecting with the countries beyond the Alps. Starting from the ancient ascent of Cancano, it was traveled by heavy traffic, especially by caravans that brought Valtellina wine in exchange for salt to Central Europe.

Thanks to mining, cloth-making, the trade in Valtellina wine and South Tyrolean salt, and its fertile alpine pastures, the region around Bormio became one of the most prosperous in the Alps.

The Fraele Valley, where a mine was active in the 12th century, was a densely populated high-alpine valley with blast furnaces and foundries, an inn, the church of San Giacomo (St. James), later submerged by the waters of the San Giacomo (St. James) reservoir, a wide mule track (Fraele tower, Fraele or Scale pass), and a duty.

Very recent developments characterize the Church of San Giacomo (St James), the remains of which were found on the shore of the artificial lake, together with those of the adjacent xenodochium.