Macugnaga :: Borghi Travel

Macugnaga

Ristoranti

The name
The village of Macugnaga is documented for the first time as Macuniaga in a document written around the year one thousand. The origin of this first version of the name probably comes from the Latin word Macor-Oris (thinness), referring to the poorness of pastures.

History
working in progress

THE OLD LIME-TREE OF THE DORF
Macugnaga can be found at the foot of the east face of Europe’s highest mountain Monte Rosa, for this reason the village became the most important tourist station of the Ossola. Unfortunately today there is not as much snow and winter tourism has diminished and so more attention is given to the Dorf, the ancient walser village.
The ancient church dates back to 1115, beautiful in its simplicity the church is wrapped in a severe medieval atmosphere thanks to the surroundings of the Dorf , situated far from the modern part of the village it has a great view of the wild side of the mountain.
Next to the church there is an old lime-tree, symbol of the ancient Walser culture of Macugnaga. According to tradition it is the same age as the Dorf which is seven hundreds years old. Near the cemetry, the circumference of the base of the tree is seven meters. Justice was administered and village meetings took place under this tree.
Another place that must be visited is the ancient bakers with its oven that is lit every year in August. Macugnaga is made up of different hamlets, the most interesting of which is Isella where the restoration of the old mill and other reconstructions are planned to offer visitors a small alpine village preserved in its original state among green pastures and ancient huts. Nowadays it is possible to view the ancient bakers and the XVII century Oratory.
There is also Pecetto, next to the church where you will find the Madonna dei Ghiacciai (Our Lady of Glaciers), is Casa Pala which is considered a National Mounument.
In the hamlet of Fornarelli there is the Miniera della Guia (gold-mine of Guia), the only European mine that can still be visited.
In the hamlet of Borca there is the Casa Walser Museum which is housed in a typical XVII century walser house with its stone footing over which a joint of square larch trunks (block-bau) are placed and is covered with a typical hand made stone roof (piode). This is how walser houses were built (the most ancient ones date back to the XVI and XVII centuries), built close to each other they form little hamlets made of stone and wood near the hay-lofts and barns. Each group of walsers has its own bakers, a church or oratory and a spring-water fountain. Barns were built in the same way as the houses, the difference being that the barns were raised from the ground thanks to stone and wooden brackets so rats could not enter. On each entrance, as on the interior doors of Walsers a Crucifix is carved demonstrating a great sense of religion.
The heart of all the houses was a stone stove (höve) which also heated the house. Outside, in front of the house, was a small kitchen garden and a cherry tree.
Finally, considering the whole village of Macugnaga it is possible to see that it has developed its touristic possibilities without changing its original nature with skyscrapers and apartment blocks like the nearby Swiss city of Zermat, and in many other Alpine villages.

Local Products
The most typical product is cheese which is prepared with whole pasteurized cow’s or goat’s milk. It is perfect with rye-bread, polenta, honey or with soups. In the summer cows graze on the mountain pastures at 1600 metres in a protected area. Other typical products are fruit grappa and spirits; the traditional Genepy or the gold particles sold at the Miniera della Guia.

Local dishes
working in progress