📍 Where it is located

The birthplace of Francesco Saverio Quadrio is located in the heart of the historic center of Ponte in Valtellina, in what was once known as the contrada della Torre, now referred to as "Piazzetta". It is a compact and picturesque area, accessible via a short walk from the main streets of the village.

🕰 A bit of history

The building dates back to the 15th–16th century and was part of a larger complex, with attached gardens and orchards, belonging to the ancient family Quadrio Matteani, a descendant of the noble Matteo Quadrio. The contrada where it stands was named “della Torre” due to the presence of a fortified structure in the medieval era.

Here, on December 1, 1695, Francesco Saverio Quadrio was born, the son of Ottavio Quadrio and Elisabetta Guicciardi. Quadrio was one of the most important intellectuals of his time: a historian, writer, bibliographer, author of the monumental work Della storia e della ragione d’ogni poesia.

🏛 Architecture and characteristics

Today the house is privately owned but visible from the outside, and retains all its main historical characteristics, thanks to careful restoration work:

• Stone entrance portal, closed by an ancient wooden door;
• Ground floor portico with pebble flooring and two ribbed vaults;
• Loggia on the first floor with stone columns, slightly swollen shaft, typical of Valtellinese architecture;
• Stone staircase covered by arches resting on terracotta supports;
• Rustic entrances under the portico, which maintain the original flavor of the sixteenth-century residential structure. 

A sober but elegant building that tells much about the way of life and construction in Valtellina between the 16th and 17th centuries.

🧭 How to get there

• 🚗 By car: recommended parking along via Europa or in the central areas of the village, from which you continue on foot.
• 🚌 By bus: line from Sondrio – stop at Ponte in Valtellina center.
• 🚶 On foot: a short walk through the cobbled streets of the historic center will lead you to the contrada Piazzetta. 

ℹ️ Useful info

• Address: contrada Piazzetta – Ponte in Valtellina (SO)
• Visitability: externally (private property); on the occasion of guided tours or events, it may sometimes be accessible upon request.
• Contacts: Culture Office – Municipality of Ponte in Valtellina 

💬 Why visit it

Even though it is not a museum today, the birthplace of Francesco Saverio Quadrio represents an important place of Valtellinese cultural memory. It is worth including it in an itinerary through the historic streets of Ponte, to discover where one of the greatest scholars of the European 18th century was born. A place that unites popular architecture and nobility of thought, in full Valtellinese style.