Our story begins a long time ago, in 1635. The whole of Europe is torn apart by one of the longest and most destructive conflicts ever: the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).

Livigno is a small, isolated and extremely poor village, inhabited by simple farmers and breeders, just like the rest of Valtellina. As chance would have it, the Valtellina territory was in a very strategic position for the Habsburgs. The Grisons and the French were busy fighting, in spite of the unaware peasants of Livigno. Thus Livigno was occupied by the imperial army on 26 June 1635, and while the soldiers celebrated, the French leader Henri II of Rohan-Gié (1579-1638), Prince of Léon, prepared the attack to free Livigno from the troops of the Spanish invaders.

Starting from Chiavenna, the Duke reached Zuoz and crossed the still snow-covered Cassana Pass with hundreds of horses, crossing the mountain paths. In spite of bridges destroyed by the enemy, he reached Val Federia by crossing the stream and stood on the Blesaccia peak, from which he could dominate the entire valley of Livigno.

In his memoirs we read: “Livigno is a valley that depends on the County of Bormio and extends for about two hours in length and 1500 steps in width: it has three exits through the Valley of Fraele in Bormio, through the Monte di Pisciadella in Poschiavo and through the Monte di Cassana in the Engadine. It is an uninterrupted meadow with spaced out houses; it is divided in the middle by a small stream that is difficult to navigate in summer when the snow melts”.

The rebellion begins near the Church of Santa Maria Nascente with an army half the size of the imperial one. It is here that the legend begins.

The Duke of Rohan and the French are said to have disguised themselves in the white coats of a confraternity and scaring away the enemy soldiers, terrorising them. Others tell of a close alliance between Livigno and the French to free the country of invaders. The Spaniards, taken unawares, flee by crossing the Spöl stream and destroying the bridge immediately afterwards, but the French cavalry still prevail, forcing them to retreat to the Eira pass.

Livigno is finally free. The Duke of Rohan hands it over to the Grisons, the new masters, and we still proudly bear the name of this worthy historical figure.