Via Priula from Morbegno to Passo San Marco

Via Priula, unlike other historic Alpine routes, was not built on a pre-existing Roman road but was created anew with the intention of connecting Bergamo to Morbegno. Why then, you may ask, did they dare to challenge the Orobie mountains to connect the two cities? We are at the end of the 16th century, Bergamo has been a Venetian possession since 1428, while Morbegno, like all of Valtellina and Valchiavenna, has been under the rule of the Republic of the Three Leagues, the current Swiss canton of Grisons, since 1512. The Grisons and Venetians are allies but both have poor relations with the Spaniards, who, as masters of Milan, also control the ancient roads ascending Lake Como leading to the Alpine passes. Between 1592 and 1593, under the will of Alvise Priuli, Venetian podestà of Bergamo, the route named after him, the Priula, was built. The route was chosen after careful studies with the aim of finding the gentlest and most passable path that would allow a direct connection between Venetian and Grisons possessions, thus avoiding Spanish tolls. The chosen pass was named Passo San Marco for the occasion, where at 1991 m, the Bergamasque Val Brembana and the Valtellina Valley of Bitto of Albaredo meet. The complete route starts from Porta San Lorenzo in Bergamo, goes up Val Brembana passing through Zogno, San Pellegrino, San Giovanni Bianco, Piazza Brembana, Olmo and finally Mezzoldo, after which, with an elevation gain of about 1000 m, the pass is reached. From here it descends through the Valle del Bitto, first meeting the village of Albaredo per San Marco, and shortly after, Morbegno. From this point, merchants and goods could continue north through the passes of Val Malenco or Valchiavenna.

The entire route from Morbegno to Passo San Marco involves a significant elevation gain and a length of nearly 20 km, so especially for hikers who are not particularly trained, it may be convenient to divide it into two sections: from Morbegno to Albaredo per San Marco and from Albaredo to the pass. Below is a description of the entire journey. It starts from Piazza Marconi and, following the Via Priula sign, goes up along the narrow Via San Marco. Just after Malacrida Palace, the road narrows to become a steep cobblestone mule track. Following the frequent signs, you reach the Tempietto Votivo, after which you cross the provincial road twice. At this point, the mule track widens and at times has a paved surface; it skirts old mountain huts and summer pastures up to the locality Campia'a (literally Campo Piano, 572 m). You pass Gisoo de Mezzavia (Mezzavia Chapel) and, after a couple of hairpin bends, leave the road taking the path that detaches to the right from the bend heading to Valle, which is reached in about twenty minutes. You follow the provincial road to Campoerbolo where, after the washhouse, you take the old mule track to the right that continues uninterruptedly to Albaredo (900 m). You easily reach Piazza San Marco, the village center, end of the first stage, and a place to rest, spend some time visiting the village, the social dairy to taste the famous Bitto cheese, and the church dedicated to San Rocco (a beautiful painting by Giuseppe Kauffmann representing Madonna with Child and Saints). The route continues through the village; just after the last houses, the mule track steepens with a paved section locally called Grisciun, then soon returns to gentler slopes. The path winds through meadows, small ancient clusters, isolated huts, and low buildings from which fresh waters spring. These are the well-known bedule're, small dry-stone buildings where butter and cheeses were kept cool. After passing the Madonna delle Grazie chapel (Madonnina), from which there is a beautiful view of the valley and the nearby summer pasture called Dosso Chierico, the road descends sharply crossing the fresh Valle di Lago. From this point the environment changes significantly and fir trees replace broadleaves. The path levels at Valle di Pedena which is crossed by a daring little bridge, and from here it climbs to the first houses of Dosso Chierico. The mule track climbs the wide meadow, passing in front of the Santa Chiara chapel and reaches the group of ancient huts from where the view spans down the valley to Sacco, the first inhabited center of Val Gerola. You leave the meadows and enter the large fir forest on the right side of the valley. The trail in the shade of firs, although pleasant, is rather long and it is therefore with some relief that you emerge onto the green pastures of Orta Soliva (about 1700 m). The path leads gently down to the river; after crossing it, it climbs first on the pasture then on the ridge with ever tighter and steeper hairpin bends, almost forming a real staircase (Scale d'Orta). From the top of the ridge, the pass is about fifteen minutes away. The descent to the old San Marco tollhouse (Cà San Marco) begins among the remains of the Cadorna line bunkers, on a well-paved road, and offers a good view of the underlying Valle Brembana and the artificial lake of Val Mora (lach de Pultranga).