Casaccia and the Via Panoramica

31 July 2022

The Italian-speaking village of Casaccia (Canton of Graubünden, Val Bregaglia) was first mentioned around 1160. It lies at the foot of the Piz Lunghin at the intersection of two crucial connecting roads, one to the north over the Septimer Pass (Il Settimo), the other to the Engadine and Austria over the Maloja Pass (Il Maloja).

The village was an important centre for the movement of goods and people. The large mansions still bear witness to this. The inn and the Hospiz named ‘Cunvent’ were the places for rest, overnight stays and the exchange of horses.

The church of San Gaudenzio has been known since 830 and was a place of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages. In 1551, the village converted to the Reformation. Services were held in this church until 1742.

The present Reformed church was built in 1742 on the foundations of a medieval chapel destroyed by an avalanche. The foundations of the chapel were still intact. It is a small Baroque building consisting of a two-bay nave and a choir with a lattice vault and three high windows.

The village has a beautiful view of the Albignadam and mountain reservoirs and is the start of the fantastic hiking route Via Panoramica.