Comune di Calanca

Established in 2015 thanks to the merger of Arvigo, Braggio, Cauco and Selma, the municipality encapsulates the essence and peculiarities of its now four hamlets.

Arvigo (hamlet)

Arvigo, formerly the capital of the Calanca valley, stands on a slope. Above the village dominates the parish church of San Lorenzo, with its massive five-storey bell tower. The arched masonry bridge crosses the Calancasca and leads to the left side of the valley, with the harmonious group of houses among which stands the chapel dedicated to San Giovanni Nepomuceno (1710-1720).

Braggio (hamlet)

The hamlet is located on a terrace – inherited from the time of the last glaciation – slightly uphill, five hundred meters above the valley floor. It is the highest living area in the Calanca valley and at the same time enjoys excellent sunshine. 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 debris of a landslide detached in 1513 from the slope opposite the mountain, which destroyed the old village of Campo Bagigno. In Cauco there were mills and a lathe for the manufacture of soapstone containers, the famous "laveggi".

Landarenca (hamlet)

Set on a terrace, located on the right of the valley, stands the small and characteristic hamlet a favorite destination for tourists who are literally enraptured by its particular beauty.

Selma (hamlet)

A small village located on the left of the Calancasca river. The parish church of Saints James and Peter was built in 1662-67 on a pre-existing building from 1582. The oldest chapel is that of San Rocco al Ponte of the sixteenth century.