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The Pian di Spagna

The very tip of the slender northern arm of Lake Como curves gently towards the east, where it marks the junction of two large alpine valleys. These valleys descend from the complex topography of the Alps to widen, level off and merge before meeting the lake.

One of these valleys, Valchiavenna, snakes rapidly in to the heart of the Alps, and appears at first sight to be a direct continuation of the narrow ravine claimed by Lake Como. Instead the second valley (Valtellina), which is wider and more complex, bends abruptly towards the east. It extends for many kilometres in this direction before inevitably facing the climb to higher elevations.

An alluvial plain has formed where the two valley floors merge, squeezed between Lake Como and Lake Mezzola. This nearly rectangular area is surrounded by rugged mountains whose steep slopes often end abruptly at the plain itself. This strip of lowland has been known since the 1600s as "Pian di Spagna" (the Spanish Plain), a name recalling historical events that took place in this region.

This area is alternately claimed by water and land and, because of its particular position, seems to have always been a crucial thoroughfare, a place where different realities could meet and trade at almost every level. It has seen all types of traffic, but was once an important crossroads for commerce and armies on the move, and at the same time, a strategic location for controlling the surrounding territory and all those who travelled across it.

However, the most extraordinary movements of all are those of migrating birds, who find the wetlands which characterize the landscape of the Pian di Spagna, an ideal resting place. Together with permanent avian residents, these transients constitute a rich faunal heritage of unquestionable value.

Therefore, this land is of great historical and naturalistic interest, despite the fact that highways and urban development have recently and irrevocably transformed it. Unfortunately, it is often only considered a place to be crossed as quickly as possible in order to reach the numerous holiday resorts situated nearby. But for those with careful eyes keen to observe and recognize the signs of the past and to understand the secrets of the natural world hidden beneath the misdeeds of modern humans, a visit to this tiny corner of the world is not to be missed. The only requirement are respect, patience and some time to spend with the attention deserving of all such places that are considered "a little bit special".