Location
Schignano is the first village of the Valle Intelvi, above Argegno, at 650 metres above sea level.
History
Ancient settlement is evidenced by Gallic finds at Occagno. The village was rebuilt at a higher elevation after the Black Death of the 14th century. Under the administrative control of Como, like the whole Pieve d’Intelvi, it was a fief of various families (Rusca, Marliani, Medici): it numbered about 300 inhabitants in 1589 and over 2,000 at the time of Italian Unification, today fewer than a thousand.
What to see
- The Church of Santa Maria Assunta, 16th century, with three naves, a cemetery and a Via Crucis.
- The Church of San Giovanni Battista at Occagno, 18th century, with a wooden statue of the Madonna Addolorata.
What to do
Schignano is best known for its traditional Carnival, among the oldest and most distinctive in Lombardy: hand-carved wooden masks, with the characters of the Bej (rich and vain) and the Brut, the Ciocia (the only female character) and the Carlisepp, the effigy chased and burned on Shrove Tuesday in the traditional “Carlisepp chase”. Among the other events are “Boscultura” and “Vicolo Poldo”. From the hamlet of Posa, trails lead to the Sasso Gordona and the Sentiero delle Espressioni on Monte Comana, with wood sculptures along the route.
Getting there
Bus lines C120 and C121 stop at Auvrascio, a hamlet of Schignano; by car you climb from Argegno towards the Val d’Intelvi.
Festivities
15 August, Santa Maria Augusta, patron saint of Schignano.