How Alberghi Diffusi Turn Villages Into Hotels | Travel

Switzerland’s Verzasca Valley, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, is renowned for its emerald-green river flowing past miles of winding canyons, lofty peaks and forests as dense as broccoli. Corippo, a tiny 800-year-old hamlet of handcrafted stone homes, rises nearly 2,000 feet above the valley floor. The tightly stacked dwellings are so close together they appear two-dimensional.

In June 2022, Corippo became the home of Switzerland’s first certified albergo diffuso. Directly translated as “widespread hotel” or “scattered hotel,” the lodging is part of a multiyear plan to preserve and revitalize the medieval village hit hard by depopulation––its inhabitants emigrating to other parts of the world in search of a better life.

“Records for Corippo date back to the 1200s,” says Marco Molinari, president of the Corippo Foundation 1975, the preservation organization responsible for creating Corippo Albergo Diffuso. “At its peak in the 1850s, 315 poor farmers and their families” traversed its narrow stone pathways. “Today, there are only ten full-time residents.”

Corippo’s new albergo diffuso consists of ten cozy rooms spanning five restored residences. Adjacent to the main piazza is a terraced osteria (restaurant) with sweeping canyon views that doubles as a lobby. Distinctive architectural details, such as original exteriors and dimensions, were preserved using local materials.

Beyond Corippo’s historical significance and ideal landscape for outdoor activities, its appeal is its sense of solitude. Locarno’s promenade of boutiques and cafes and Lugano’s art museums and galleries are less than an hour away, but the hamlet is peaceful.

“We hope that our guests take advantage of the deep calm that reigns here,” says Désirée Voitle, who manages Corippo Albergo Diffuso’s operations. Her husband, Jeremy Gehring, oversees the kitchen and is the osteria’s chef, serving fresh gourmet cuisine from south of the Alps.

New to Switzerland, the albergo diffuso style…