Palazzo Besta

The building, also known as the "small royal palace in the Alps", was built by the noble Besta family and is one of the most important Lombard Renaissance dwellings. The walls of the internal courtyard are frescoed with episodes from the Aeneid, while on the first floor it is possible to admire the Salone d’Onore, decorated with tales from Orlando Furioso, and the paintings in the Sala della Creazione. Inside the building, there are also three stüe, rooms entirely covered with Arolla pine boiserie. The ground floor, on the other hand, hosts the Antiquarium Tellinum, a collection of prehistoric steles from the Copper Age (3rd millennium BC), including the famous Mother Goddess, recovered in various locations in the territory of Teglio. Palazzo Besta is the only state museum in Valtellina, and is managed by the Lombardy Regional Office for Museums. The renovation of the exterior architectural lighting and the interior painting apparatus enable visitors to fully appreciate their beauty.