Sgraffito in the Engadine

The Engadine owes its appeal to its landscapes, but its charm truly comes to life in its villages. Sgraffito adorns these sculptural houses, whose proportions never fail to amaze.

Since the 15th century, symbolic and ornamental motifs have adorned their facades, lending them both dignity and splendor. This traditional craft was admired and preserved by Iachen Ulrich Könz, who was the first to recognize its value. With the help of his two sons, he restored numerous houses and facades. These sons, Constant and Steivan Liun—initially humble restorers in the service of cultural heritage—had the courage to lead sgraffito into the modern era through their own artistic practice. Following the Gothic, Baroque, and Neoclassical periods, they advanced the craft and elevated it to the status of an art form.

On a visual journey, I invite you to admire their most beautiful facades, which over the course of half a century have become one of the valley's iconic landmarks.

Pauline Martinet is a graphic designer and illustrator, as well as the author of the book "Sgraffitos, l'art de l'illusion" (2023). Her first sgraffito as an artist will be created in the autumn of 2026.