The village of San Giorgio, gateway to the exuberant Val Codera, will find a place in any visitor’s heart. No little thanks due to the “Friends of Val Codera” association founded in 1981 by residents and enthusiasts even from elsewhere - like Lecco and Milan, yet tied intrinsically for both emotional and more earthy trekking motives. Since the ‘70’s following depopulation, with the last residents leaving for the valley bottom, there were fears that the village might gradually be swallowed up by the surrounding forest. The association took it into their own hands to preserve its integrity, enhancing the resources natural to the place. By initially promoting heath care support, the association began to introduce other initiatives.
Among such, the conservation of the original environment around the main villages of the valley was to feature large and the cultivation of fields kept alive with the sowing of beans, potatoes and other typical historic crops. Cleaning, maintenance and a fierce collaborative spirit have breathed life anew and created an annual calendar with a wealth of activities. Conventions, excursions under a full moon and much else have made the area well-known for its hospitality, backed-up by various structures such as La Locanda and the Osteria Alpina at Codera, il rifugio Bresciadega and il rifugio Brasca del CAI di Milano, at the head of the valley.
For 40 years now the association has worked tirelessly with a solid core of members alongside more occasional volunteers and with structured support from the international civil service which organises annual work camps. Important progress in disseminating the history of the village came with the foundation of the Ethnographic museum, which collects descriptions of local life through the testimonies of native families. The museum has a section in Codera and one at San Giorgio, established in a renovated original barn. San Giorgio, situated at 748m and immersed in greenery, is cocooned in a dreamlike tranquility, with a granite spur behind it. It once hosted a community of quarrymen and the village is only accessible on foot from Novate Mezzola. The climb is well signposted and not particularly challenging, requiring around an hour and a half with a height differential of 450m. The route is enmeshed within lush nature, Lake Novate dominating the valley floor and certainly enhancing the panorama. Word of mouth remains the principal means of promotion of this fabulous little gem, albeit well-supported now by the multimedia project “San Giorgio racconta” established in 2023 by the Associazione Amici della Val Codera. The digital map, downloaded from www.visitvalcodera.it/tour/, will guide visitors to the Romanesque church, the belvedere, fountain and washtub carved out of granite, early medieval burial stones and the museum.
The initiative unites past and present using QR codes situated at both entrances to the village and at the Ethnographical Museum that can be accessed on your smartphone opening up fascinating tales and illustrations. You can choose to read or listen. The village comes to life through the voice of San Giorgio, who will guide you on a digital tour through the little streets with stories, corners and legends all along the way.
