Comune di Calanca

The municipality was founded in 2015 by the merger of Arvigo, Braggio, Cauco and Selma and embodies the essence and peculiarities of its now four hamlets.

Arvigo (hamlet)

Arvigo, the former capital of the Calanca Valley, is located on a hillside. Above the village is the parish church of San Lorenzo with its massive five-storey bell tower. The brick arch bridge crosses the Calancasca and leads to the left side of the valley, where there is the harmonious group of houses where the chapel dedicated to San Giovanni Nepomuceno (1710-1720) is located.

Braggio (hamlet)

The hamlet is located on a terrace – a legacy from the time of the last ice age – slightly uphill, five hundred meters above the valley floor. It is the highest residential area in the Calanca Valley and at the same time enjoys excellent sun exposure. It can be reached by cable car or mule track from Arvigo. The various locally processed agricultural products are very popular.

Cauco/Bodio (hamlet)

A small and active hamlet built on the left bank of the Calancasca River. The village was built in part on the rubble of a landslide that broke loose from the slope opposite the mountain in 1513, destroying the ancient village of Campo Bagigno. In Cauco there were mills and a lathe for the production of soapstone tanks, the famous "laveggi".

Landarenca (hamlet)

On a terrace, located on the right side of the valley, is the small and characteristic hamlet, a popular destination for tourists who are literally enchanted by its particular beauty.

Selma (hamlet)

A small village on the left side of the Calancasca River. The parish church of St. James and Peter was built in 1662-67 on an existing building from 1582. The oldest chapel is the chapel of San Rocco al Ponte, dating back to the sixteenth century.