A Village with an International Aura – Roveredo and its Baroque Master Builders

Roveredo has a population of just over 2600. Located in the Valle Mesolcina in Southern Graubünden, the village is thus not considered a particularly cosmopolitan place. However, viewed in a historical context, Roveredo has an international aura. Among others, this aura can be traced back to the Zucalli family.

For many years, Enrico Zuccalli (c. 1642-1724) was chief architect of the Bavarian court. He is considered the main representative of the so-called Munich High Baroque style. Zucalli and his relatives left behind numerous buildings in Southern Germany. Furthermore, the Zuccalli family were by no means the only master builders and plasterers from Roveredo who left their mark abroad. This is demonstrated, for instance, in the Museo Moesano in San Vittore, which presents the history and works of the master builders from the Valle Mesolcina in great detail.

In their home village, the master builders and plasterers from Roveredo also left their mark. The master builder Tommaso Comacio, for instance, built a large palazzo. Additionally, a side chapel in the church of San Giulio, directly adjacent to the palazzo, features a magnificent stucco ceiling. It was created by Giovanni Battista Zuccalli, the father of Enrico Zuccalli, in 1641.