Location
Cima Città is located between the villages of Dangio and Torre at 800 meters above sea level. The Valle di Blenio in the northern part of Ticino extends from the Lukmanier Pass down the valley to Biasca. It is a sunny mountain valley with a lot of agriculture and little tourist infrastructure. The valley invites you to spend time in nature, hiking, climbing and cycling.
Infrastructure
The entire area of the disused chocolate factory Cima Norma consists of a total of 24 buildings with countless interesting indoor and outdoor spaces. Cima Città animates a relatively small part of the site.
The heart of Cima Città is the residency space called "Pensionato". It has seven bedrooms where up to 15 people can stay in 2-person and 3-person rooms, a kitchen for self-cooking, a lounge and two large workrooms. In addition to the Pensionato, Cima Città also has other rooms on the premises. In the neighboring house "Giorgio" there is a workshop and a rehearsal room for dance and performance. Directly behind it is the large vegetable garden. On the premises there is also a music rehearsal room and a studio.
In consultation with the other residence guests, the entire infrastructure of the Cima Città can be used. The site is shared with other people. Thus, the main building is inhabited throughout the year. The Fondazione la Fabbrica del Cioccolato organizes an art festival in the large industrial halls every summer. On request, these halls can be rented for projects during the other months. The premises that do not belong to the Cima Città may not be used.
For larger groups, we refer to the group house "Adula", which is located next to the chocolate factory and can accommodate up to 32 people.
Cima Città is easily accessible by public transport, parking can be provided on request. Unfortunately, the premises are not barrier-free.
The Cima Città infrastructure is constantly evolving. Contact us at info@cimacitta.ch if you would like to help us with infrastructure and garden work.
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History
The Cima Norma chocolate factory was the first and by far the most important industry in the Blenio Valley. It was founded in 1903 and at it employed 340 workers - there was almost no family in the valley that did not earn money with chocolate production. In 1968 the factory had to close and since then it still stands impressively oversized as a monument of another time in the pre-Alpine Ticino landscape. Starting in the 1990s, architect Marino Venturini took on the legacy of the factory. In addition to renting out apartments, the premises are leased to local businesses. Meanwhile, the Cima Norma has found its new purpose as a cultural venue. The Fondazione la Fabbrica del Cioccolato, founded in 2015, has taken on the legacy of the disused factory and organizes exhibitions. Since 2019, the re/fugium association has been expanding the industrial site with the Cima Città residency program.