Ponte in Valtellina, Ceres and its Astronomer Maximo

Ponte in Valtellina was one of the first centers of culture in the Adda Valley. The town, which developed on the Rhaetian side of the valley, just beyond Sondrio, going up toward Tirano and Alta Valtellina, was the Christmas birthplace of famous personalities in history. It was the birthplace of the man of letters Francesco Saverio Quadrio and to the astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi, Founder of the Astronomical Observatories of Palermo and Naples, the discoverer of the planet Ceres. Ponte in Valtellina, already historically very important in Lombard times, gained great political prominence after the year 1000, with the arrival in the village of the Quadrio families, originally from Comasco and of Ghibelline faction. It was the first municipality in the valley to introduce the estimation book in 1369. Known for the cultivation of apples, it now boasts the largest orchard area in the entire province, Worth seeing are the church of Madonna di Campagna (16th century), the parish church of S. Maurizio in which the overlapping of three styles (Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance) can be seen, embellished above the entrance portal by a lunette frescoed by Bernardino Luini, the oratory of the Disciplini with a cycle of frescoes by Fermo Stella and the church of S. Ignazio (17th century). The entire historical center presents a perfect blend of peasant courtyards and noble residences. In 2009 the Giuseppe Piazzi Astronomical Observatory was inaugurated. Equipped with the most modern instrumentation, the Observatory offers the possibility of guided tours and pleasant and interesting evenings discovering the celestial vault, which allow educational, tourist and scientific activities. Across the state road, past the bridge over the Adda River, is the hamlet of Sazzo with the Sanctuary of S. Luigi Gonzaga.

Info

Ponte in Valtellina, Cerere e il suo Astronomo Maximo www.osservatoriopiazzi.it www.percorsiculturali.cmsondrio.it/ponte/ www.astrofilivaltellinesi.com www.inlombardia.it www.palermoviva.it/losservatorio-astronomicodel-palazzo-reale-e-il-museo-della-specola/