The San Jorio Pass sits at 2,010 metres, right on the Italian-Swiss border: it connects Valle Albano and Valle San Jorio, in the province of Como, with Valle Morobbia, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. It is reached on foot from Rifugio San Jorio, just below it.
History
During the First World War the pass was a strategically important outpost of the Frontiera Nord, Italy’s defensive line facing Switzerland. After the Armistice of Cassibile in 1943, many soldiers left without orders crossed it seeking refuge in Switzerland, and later so did numerous smugglers: to counter this traffic, the area’s Guardia di Finanza barracks were built — the same origin as Rifugio San Jorio — later converted into mountain refuges.
What to see
Today the pass is essentially a tourist destination, on both the Italian and Swiss sides, drawing hikers and mountain bikers. It holds a small chapel dedicated to San Jorio, the focus of an annual religious event held on the first Sunday of August.
Practical information
- Most direct access: from Rifugio San Jorio, about a 2-hour walk from Brenzeglio, a hamlet of Garzeno.