Centovalli
_{To go Back at any time,}
use Browser’s “Previous Page”

• Locarno is the eastern terminus of the Centovalli Railway. That line extends westward into Italy, providing a link to the Simplon Tunnel. To widen our horizons one fine day, we traveled the Centovalli line as far as Santa Maria Maggiori, Italy, and returned. We also stopped briefly to explore Intragna, Switzerland, an ancient village existing from at least 1272.
  
  Approaching Intragna, it appeared anything but ancient, surrounded as it is by modern buildings. Only on foot could we appreciate its antiquity:
  

  

  In the foreground above, note the highway bridge and, beyond it, the train trestle. The next two shots were taken crossing the trestle and looking back at the highway:
  

  

  

  
  The most noticeable feature of Intragna is the church belltower. Less than 400 years old, the tower’s claim to fame is that, at 213 feet, it is the tallest belltower in Ticino:
  

  

  
  It belongs to this church, “The Holy Name of Mary”, doors firmly locked that day:
  

  

  
  Slipping into narrow passageways near the church was almost eerie, as the old part of town seemed deserted. The timeworn walls inspired us to imagine the buzz of human activity they had witnessed over the centuries, we being only the latest to pass by.
  

  

  Despite our impressions of a dying town, we read later that the population of Intragna is actually growing. That may be due to the more modern parts of town and the possibility of commuting to Locarno for work.
  
  Beyond Intragna, our train journeyed on through pretty countryside and crossed into Italy:

  

  
  Upon reaching our final destination, top priority was finding a shady spot for our picnic lunch:
  

  

  
  This little parklet faced the church tower and, off to the right was a Chimney Sweep Museum. The museum would have been informative to visit; unfortunately, it was shuttered, reminding us again that this was not peak tourist season.
  

  

  
  After that refreshing pause, we set off to take the measure of Santa Maria Maggiori, quickly locating what was probably the only cafe in town open that day:
  

  

  
  Later, we would come back to this spot for more refreshments. For now, we skirted the diners, looked back at the church ....
  

  

  .... then turned and walked to the left down this beckoning lane:
  

  

  
  Wandering about, driven only by curiosity, we admired sturdy stone roofs ....

  

  .... novel door protectors ....
  

  

  .... delightful mountain views ....
  

  

  .... wisteria-covered walls ....
  

  

  .... and other picturesque parts of town ....
  

  

  .... before documenting our presence at this town fountain and hopping aboard the next train.
  

  

  
  What did we think of Santa Maria Maggiori? Well, with only 1200 or so residents, you’d hardly expect a bustling town. In a nutshell, we found it an attractive, quiet place to explore --- and its ice cream is excellent.