Poffabro

Poffabro is an open-air museum in the heart of the Colvera Valley. Its 'magic power' lies in the enchanting effect of the rough-cut stones and wooden balconies, straightforward and austere elements, which also give a sense of intimacy and recollection in the courtyards closed in on themselves, or in the long rows of 16th-17th-century houses. The beauty of the village lies in the humble reality of pillars, stairs, balconies and stone arches, in perfect harmony with the surrounding nature. The Val Covera, where Poffabro stands, was quite busy since Roman times when it was crossed by the road that led from the military colony of Julia Concordia to the north, across the Alps. There are traces of ancient settlements in the area, but the earliest certain evidence can be found in the archives of the bishop of Concordia. Among his possessions, in fact, the parish of Poffabro was already listed in the 11th century. There is also an arbitration sentence from 1339 that mentions 'Prafabrorum', the 'blacksmiths' meadow'.