Loop 1 - Between forests and ancient hamlets

This easy 15 km loop passes through the hamlets of Pianca, Brembella, Camerata Cornello and Cornello dei Tasso. 

Today, carriage roads make it easy to reach the myriad of villages, more or less substantial, scattered over the vast territory stretching at the base of Monte Cancervo. Some of these villages are true hidden gems, such as the small, softly shaped hamlet of Pianca, situated at the base of Mount Cancervo. 

Camerata Cornello is a village steeped in history: it seems that the first settlements were established as early as the early Middle Ages when, following the barbarian invasions, the townspeople took refuge in the valley. Over the course of history, the valley inhabitants built various small churches and chapels that have retained their original charm over the years and still preserve their valuable historical and architectural heritage. The buildings in Camerata and its districts are an excellent testimony to the rural architecture of the valley. The buildings adapt perfectly to the morphology of the land, taking advantage of the characteristics of the terrain; the main material used is local stone cut into large blocks bound with mortar.

Cornello is a village of medieval origin that owes its name to the ancient Tasso family, whose most famous member is undoubtedly Torquato Tasso. The Tasso family already had a company of 'post masters' in the mid-12th century and came to manage the mail service of the Habsburg Empire during the 16th century. In the Middle Ages, the village of Cornello was an important centre for trade and the passage of people and goods thanks to the presence of the via Mercatorum, the merchants' road, which connected Bergamo to Valtellina and linked some of the most important centres in the Brembana Valley.
When, in 1592, the construction of the Priula Road began, commissioned by the Venetian government to directly connect Bergamo to Valtellina without passing through Spanish territories, Cornello dei Tasso found itself isolated and lost its commercial importance, giving way to a period of decline. The new road, in fact, passed along the valley floor, separating the village from the new road system. The isolation of the village, however, favoured the preservation of its original urban structure, which, except for some alterations in the second half of the 20th century, still appears in its medieval appearance, a requisite that has allowed Cornello to be included among "The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy".