The stretch, in “borlanti” river pebbles, reaches the small historic center that still preserves the original medieval urban fabric. Formerly on the “via Mercatorum,” it was a center of trade between Valtellina and Bergamo-Venice, but it declined with the construction of the “Strada Priula” (1592), a road axis positioned further downstream; perhaps the centuries-old isolation saved its ancient layout.
The settlement stands on a rocky outcrop (horns, cornel = cliff, spur) overhanging the Brembo River >; it is arranged in four concentric building plans.
At the bottom, a continuous series of fronts with the characteristic fortification type; between the first and second curtain of inhabited areas runs the route of the ancient “via Mercatorum” which is the defining element of the urban core: stone arches mark the various building units, exposed wooden beams serve as roofing on the porticoed level and support on the upper level. More open and diversified is the third level with buildings of some architectural interest and dwellings that outwardly maintain the ancient valley structure.
At the highest point of the village is the church dedicated to Sts. Cyprian and Cornelius. Erected on an original 12th-century structure, it has an elegant leaning bell tower in the Romanesque style .
Inside there is an interesting cycle of frescoes dating from the 15th to 16th centuries, notable for the “Miracle of St. Eligius” patron saint of farriers, for the proposed 15th-century settings, costumes and work tools, “St. George,” “St. Agatha” and scenes from the life of Christ.
The Tasso family, organizers of what historians have called ‘the modern postal system,’ originated from Cornello.
Badger Museum
Exhibition criteria – Visiting itinerary
On the ground floor of the main building, the ‘exhibition traces the history of the Badgers in the service of the Habsburgs.
On the back wall stands out the schematic family tree of the Tasso household, starting in 1250 to the present day with family members currently residing in Regensburg (Germany) and Duino (in the vicinity of Trieste). Here the complex ramification of the great dynasty is highlighted with special emphasis on certain figures, such as Francesco, Simone, and Giovan Battista Tasso who worked for the Habsburgs (Maximilian I, Philip the Fair, and Charles V), whose genealogy is immortalized in another panel.
Featured alongside the Badger story is a letter from 1840 franked with the world’s first stamp issued in England-the famous “Penny Black.” A number of showcases display stamps issued by the Thurn und Taxis family from 1852 to 1866, when postal service on German territory was nationalized by the Kingdom of Prussia, which provided compensation to the Thurn und Taxis for the loss of their office.
On the upper floor, a series of postal documents such as letters and posters from the 17th-19th centuries.
In the upper room, very interesting for the youngest visitors are: a model of a Piedmontese post station from 1815, a plaster reproduction of a letterbox from 1674 from Portaria (hamlet of Acquasparta, Terni), mailboxes with coats of arms of the Savoy Kingdom from 1850 and the Austro-Hungarian one from 1910 from Ala (Tridentine Venice). The showcases display a miscellany of letters and documents, the result of important donations to the Museum.
Reaching the small square in front of the church, on the right some steps made of local stone give access to another room of the museum. The room is dedicated to Msgr. Daniele Rota, who wanted to donate to the museum all his literary material on Bernardo and Torquato Tasso.
Displayed in the showcases and bulletin boards are multiple literary-themed volumes including some fine editions of “Jerusalem Delivered.” On the walls are paintings depicting Bernard, Torquato, while placed on a column is a bronze bust of Torquato Tasso on plaster by Attilio Nani, an important artist from Bergamo. The small room on the upper floor entitled “Postal Services and Means of Communication” collects, material from the Historical Museum of Communication
Part of the venue is devoted to the history of writing and its implications in communication.
Museum admission: free
Guided tours of the Museum with a Museum guide or own guide: €3.00
Guided tours by appointment to the village of Cornello dei Tasso and to the Museum and other sites in the municipality of Camerata Cornello, for a fee. For information contact the Museum.
Bookshop . Books and memorabilia for sale online at www.museodeitasso.com or at the Museum’s main building.
For information: