Our History

From agriculture to electricity

 

Renowned since Roman times, Bregaglia's Septimer Pass and Malögin Road were used as thoroughfares from South to North. First, the Como prefecture annexed Bregaglia, then after 350 AD, it became part of Raetia.

Over the following centuries, Bregaglia was passed on from the Ostrogohts to the Lombards . In 960 AD, Kaiser Otto I presented Bregaglia to the Bishop of Chur, who then took control over the routes going over the Julier and Septimer Passes. In 1387, a paved road was constructed over the Septimer Pass from Tinizong to Piuro.

In the middle of the 16th century, Bregaglia joined the Reformation. In 1546, the selection of Italian as the official language favored political independence. During the period of "Torbidi Grigioni" the local population experienced some difficult tmes, especially in 1621, with the Spanish invasion. Traditional staples of the local economy were chestnuts. Transport was also an important part of the economy, but lost its importance with the opening of the Gotthard Pass. As a result, the locals pursued agriculture as the new line of business.

During the last 150 years, the valley has experienced large-scale emigration with the population falling from 2170 in 1803, to 1434 in 1990. Simultaneously, the once dominant agricultural sector gradually lost ist importance. On the bright side, tourism and the utilization of hydropower have stimulated the economy by creating new jobs and financial stability.