Camandona – Pre-Alps, Mule Tracks and Sanctuaries

Camandona combines the landscape of the Biella Pre-Alps with sanctuaries, votive paintings, ancient paths and scattered hamlets.

Pre-Alpine landscape between ridges and small valleys

Camandona lies in the Biella Pre-Alps, extending along the slopes of Rocca d’Argimonia at elevations between 562 and 824 metres above sea level. The municipality consists of 16 scattered hamlets on ridges and in small valleys. Lush vegetation, including chestnut trees and mighty beech trees, conceals large parts of the settlement pattern; at higher elevations, birches, ferns and heather are also found. This creates a landscape that combines nature observation with peaceful exploration.

Hiking trails run along ancient mule tracks and connect Camandona’s hamlets. The transhumance route is also one of the area’s defining paths: it is still used today by shepherds who continue a tradition dating back thousands of years. In recent years, the route has been enhanced with ethnographic information panels. For a stay with a variety of day plans, Camandona therefore offers both paths through the landscape and insights into a form of pasture use that continues to this day.

Sanctuaries, Frescoes and Historic Buildings

The Chiesa Parrocchiale was built around 1530. The Santuario del Mazzucco was built in the first half of the 17th century on the ruins of an older chapel and is dedicated to Sant’Anna. The oratory enjoys a scenic location and is surrounded by centuries-old beech forests. The hamlets are also home to Palazzo Sogno, commissioned by Stefano Basso in 1776, whose style and layout resemble French-Provençal “manoirs”, as well as the hamlets of D’Agostino, Cerale and Guelpa, with their typical 18th-century row houses.

Camandona’s cultural heritage includes around 30 frescoes, most of which are votive paintings from the second half of the 19th century. Along the roads, mule tracks and paths connecting the hamlets with the alpine pastures, there are also more than 20 votive chapels. Anyone who wants to discover historical evidence while walking will find these features not just at a single building, but along various routes and in several hamlets.

Routes to the Santuario del Mazzucco

The Santuario del Mazzucco is part of the “I sentieri della Fede” route, which connects it with the sanctuaries of Banchette and della Brughiera. The “Anello di Carcheggio” walk begins at the Santuario del Mazzucco. From Callabiana, the sanctuary can be reached after passing by the Camandona Dam and continuing through the hamlets of Gallo and Mino di Camandona. These different route connections help you plan your stay according to your interests: one option focuses on religious culture, while another takes in hamlets, woodland and water.

Camandona Dam and Mazzucco Picnic Area

The Camandona Dam was built in the mid-20th century. It ensures a regular water supply for the numerous textile factories located downstream and created an artificial lake that is a popular destination for anglers. This brings together industrial history, a waterside landscape and a tangible connection to the regional economy.

The Mazzucco picnic area is situated at an elevation of 900 metres in a beautiful location directly below and beside the Santuario del Mazzucco of the same name. It has tables, barbecue areas, children’s play facilities and toilets. When choosing a holiday apartment in Camandona, such varied attractions may play a role: you can decide whether your days should focus mainly on paths and forests, culture or relaxing stays at a facility equipped for this purpose.

Other places in the area: Roppolo, Simone, Sala Biellese, Muzzano, Zimone, Sostegno, Solesio, Torazza.

For the broader travel overview: Biella.