From the Venetian Age to the Belle Époque

This itinerary will be a real journey through history and its architecture, through which to be fascinated by the stones worked in every age with a taste and mastery that, despite developments in technique, sometimes seem to have been lost.

Even many events related to distinguished guests, mysterious episodes and ambitious business projects seem distant and difficult to replicate today, despite the fact that in some cases just over a hundred years have passed.

Thus we will go on a discovery of a Belle Époque San Pellegrino Terme, a rural and silent Bracca, once a rival of the former on the mineral water front, and finally a Venetian, religious and artistic Serina. This is an itinerary to be traveled by car, but one that can offer interesting hints for very interesting and easy-to-drive naturalistic off-programs to immerse oneself in the green landscapes of the Basse Valle Brembana and Serina Valley.

The drive is 40min effective, but it is recommended to take the full day to take your time to visit all the points along the way.

San Pellegrino

San Pellegrino is the monumental heart of the itinerary: here the Belle Époque left clear and still surprising marks. The Municipal Casino and the Grand Hotel tell of the ambition to transform the valley into an international spa destination, capable of attracting aristocracy, entrepreneurs and architects. Walking among the Art Nouveau facades, tree-lined boulevard and Brembo River, one perceives a past of elegance and urban experimentation that now coexists with the town's daily life.

Bracca

Just a few kilometers away, Bracca offers a distinct change of pace: a cosy, silent village built around the mountain and the work of its people. Here water is not a spectacle, but a resource from which an entire production system was born, making the village a protagonist in the history of mineral waters. The stone houses, tiny hamlets and wooded landscape restore a sober and genuine atmosphere, where everything invites you to slow down and observe.

Serina

Serina is the most articulated historic center on the itinerary, with churches, squares and residences reflecting the long Venetian influence on the valley. Here sacred art and community life are intertwined: religious architecture, small widespread museums and neighboring contrade guard a living memory of traditions, crafts and seasons of encounters. It is a town that can be discovered on foot, entering the alleys, stopping at the thresholds, listening to the history that still inhabits its stones.