THE NATURE OF LIVIGNO – A PEARL IN ALTA VALTELLINA

The first history trace can be found in Livigno’s name itself, which probably stems from a mix of Ladin and German and means "snow avalanche." The second trace is to be found along the village or valley; you can see it firsthand. There are still architectural traces of the old Livigno dwellings: they were built of wood, often with farm buildings on the corner and roofs with larch planks to keep the snow from sliding off. 

Livigno became popular as a winter tourist destination only after the annual opening of the Foscagno Pass in 1952 and in the late 1960s thanks to the opening of the Gallo tunnel, which allowed tourists from northern Europe to reach the valley. Before then there were few traces of tourism, but the story about the short stay of the Divisionist painter Giovanni Segantini and his partner Bice Bugatti is still being told. 

Those who come to Livigno spend the first few days looking at the nature around them, enjoying the sun and snow, and shopping along its open-air mall. But then the desire of answering questions of children and those who want to know more about this territory comes out. 

These questions can be answered by the MUS! Museum of Livigno and Trepalle. We highly recommend visiting it: you’ll get into an ancient dwelling of local tradition, and you’ll experience life in the past figuring out the Livigno of today.