Dongio is a village and former municipality in Acquarossa, in the Blenio district of the canton of Ticino. For an exploratory trip, the area combines architectural history with specific route options: the parish church tells the story of rebuilding after a landslide, while named routes lead to the Church of San Remigio and the Casa dei Pagani. You can tailor your stay around historic buildings or a particular route.

Churches, Fortifications and Historical Sites

The parish church of San Luca evangelista e San Fiorenzo is a late Baroque building dating from 1760 to 1767. It was built after a landslide in 1758 destroyed the former parish church and part of the village. The building’s history links the present church with a momentous event for Dongio and the subsequent reconstruction.

The Oratory of San Giovanni Battista in the hamlet of Crespogno also dates from the 16th century. The municipality of Acquarossa lists the Case dei Pagani among Dongio’s historic monuments. The Casa dei Pagani consists of medieval fortifications built to protect against enemy incursions. Together, the religious building and the defensive structures represent different aspects of the village’s history.

The Grotti di Dongio are among the area’s significant historical and cultural features. The Predacài lever press is located on Via dei Grotti: built in 1789, it is a cultural property of cantonal importance. Another site that bears witness to an earlier everyday purpose is the Ghiacciaia, an old ice house once used to store food. Together, these places point to very different themes—from religious architecture and fortifications to the former storage of food.

Routes to San Remigio and the Casa dei Pagani

The Circuito Dongio-Satro is designated as an accessible circular route and is 6.6 kilometres long. It starts in the square in front of Dongio’s municipal building and leads to the small Romanesque Church of San Remigio. Historic Route No. 3 also includes the Vecchia strada del Satro between Acquarossa and Dongio; this route can be travelled on foot or by bicycle.

Another option is the Circuito Dongio-Motto. This seven-kilometre route starts and ends in Dongio and follows a hiking trail from Dongio to the Casa dei Pagani. On the return leg, it follows an easy cycling path along the route of the former railway line from Biasca to Comprovasco. The route lengths of 6.6 and seven kilometres are close; their different destinations and descriptions can help you choose: San Remigio is the destination of the Circuito Dongio-Satro, while the Casa dei Pagani is the destination of the Circuito Dongio-Motto.

If you are looking for a sense of the landscape as well as its buildings, prominent ridges can be seen in several directions. To the west, the gently rising massif of the 2,417-metre-high Pizzo Errà shapes the landscape; its ridge rises to the 2,586-metre-high Pizzo Molare in the northwest. To the northeast, the terrain rises steeply to the 2,843-metre-high Cima di Gana Bianca. To the southeast, the view opens towards the 2,251-metre-high Pizzo Muncréch in the southern Blenio Valley.

The Giro Media Blenio is also associated with Dongio: the athletics club Gruppo Atletico Dongio organises the event. If you would like to include the Giro Media Blenio in your travel plans, check the specific event dates.

Discover more destinations: Marolta, Malvaglia, Acquarossa, Prugiasco, Blenio, Ghirone, Semione, Lottigna.

Back to the main travel guide: Blenio.