Alpine Marian Path Eastern Route - Stage Grosotto Tirano

From Bormio, the Eastern Route alternates along the banks of the Adda, offering diverse landscapes until Grosotto, where a small bridge allows crossing to the opposite side, amid woods and paths climbing to the Mortirolo. The route joins the Castle Trail and reaches Mazzo, an ancient parish center. Here, you find the sacred area with an octagonal baptistery (6th-7th century), the immersion baptismal font, and the Church of Santa Maria, an ancient Marian center with a precious Renaissance polyptych.

Just above the village stands the Pedenale Tower, while a detour leads to the Bellaguarda Castle. Descending, you reach the Church of the Madonnina or of the Blessed Virgin of Caravaggio, above Tovo S. Agata. The "sacred enclosure" also includes the medieval Church of Saints Hippolytus and Cassian with a 16th-century gate and frescoes by Cipriano Valorsa. Outside, a Renaissance Marian fresco gave rise to the local cult and, in 1893, the construction of the new Church dedicated to the Madonna of Caravaggio.

The path continues through the shaded woods above Lovero. From the old Parish Church of Sant’Alessandro, it goes to the new Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Assumption, rich in artworks, including frescoes by Muttoni and 18th-century wooden furnishings. Then it enters the cultivated countryside of Sernio, with the Tower and the Homodei Palace. Along the Via Strencia, connecting the districts, is the Madonna della Neve: simple on the outside, it preserves a precious wooden altarpiece by Giacomo Del Maino (late 15th century), possibly intended for the parish church.

After crossing the valley floor, you reach the cycle path to Tirano, among terraced vineyards bearing witness to the importance of viticulture. Before the sanctuary, the old town is entered through Porta Poschiavina: patrician palaces, decorated courtyards, and the Salis Palace tell of prosperity thanks to trade with Switzerland. Among cafés, shops, and accommodations, you finally reach the basilica of the Madonna di Tirano, the destination of the two Routes of the Alpine Marian Path.