Travelstone: Province of Sondrio

Province of Sondrio Italy

The Province of Sondrio is in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, with the town of Sondrio as its capital. In 2017 it had a population of 181,403. It was created in 1815 within the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia by combining the valleys of Valtellina, Valchiavenna and Bormio. Before the Roman conquest the area was inhabited by Celtic Lepontii and Rhaetian Camunni, and was later incorporated into the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire it came under Lombard control and was ruled by local feudal lords. In the Middle Ages it belonged to the Kingdom of Italy, and in the 14th century it passed to the Duchy of Milan under the Visconti and later the Sforza. Sondrio and Valtellina were strategically important in European politics, especially during the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, thanks to their links to the rest of Europe via the Spluga Pass and surrounding valleys. After the collapse of the Duchy of Milan, Sondrio came under the rule of the Swiss Canton of Graubünden. Valtellina was invaded in 1622 by the Spanish Governor of Milan, who used the valleys for moving troops; the campaign was aided by a 1620 revolt in Valtellina against Swiss rule. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 confirmed peace in the area and assigned it to Graubünden. In 1797 the short‑lived Republic of Valtellina was established but was quickly absorbed by the French‑controlled Cisalpine Republic. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 defined Sondrio and Valtellina as a province of the Austrian Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, which in 1866 was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy.

Recommended airport

Samedan (SMV)

Nearby destinations

Province of Sondrio, Italy

Province of Sondrio Italy