In 1908 a group of libertarians from Clivio, among them Felice Monzini, founded the Modern Rationalist School here: secular, anarchist, inspired by the theories of Francisco Ferrer, and — so it is said — the only experience of its kind carried through in Italy. Between 1910 and 1914 the school also published a periodical, which set out its libertarian and pacifist programme and recorded the sacrifices with which the workers of the village kept it alive and defended it from slander. It ran in fits and starts, and closed in 1922.
Clivio stands on the hill — clivium — a step away from Switzerland, and that border has cost it dear: during the Second World War, because of the great number of soldiers seeking asylum by way of the Bellavista pass, the German military authorities ordered the evacuation of the whole village and of a broad strip of Saltrio. From that day the people of Clivio could not go back, save in rare cases. And as a comune Clivio had already lost its autonomy in 1927, merged with Viggiù and Saltrio: it got it back on 30 May 1953.
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📅 Every year, on 29 June
On 29 June Clivio, a municipality of 1,942 inhabitants in the province of Varese, celebrates its patrons Saints Peter and Paul with a small market in a square in the centre.
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Outside Clivio, but an easy day trip away.
