Although life in the southern area of the Alps was formed by the continual rural work operations and customs for many centuries, the valley of Poschiavo did not only have quiet times up to the economic changes of the 19th century.

The history of Valposchiavo as a lateral valley of Valtellina was at the beginning closely connected to the destiny of the meridional neighbour. The settlement as well as the Romanization and the Christianization took place from the south.

Also in the first documented mention as a Franconian fiefdom in the year 824 "Postclave" is given together with other territories of Valtellina. But unlike Valtellina, the valley of Poschiavo succeeded in the late Middle Ages to acquit itself of the feudalism and to find a new sense of orientation towards north as a free criminal court of the state of the Three Unions.

Reformation and counter-reformation again came from the south and brought long conflicts and tensions to the valley. The French Revolution left the clearest mar

Valtellina detached itself from the subject situation with the Three Unions and turned definitely towards Italy. In 1803 the valley of Poschiavo joined the Swiss Confederation together with the new canton of the Grisons and shared the same destiny from that moment on.

The economic and cultural relations of the valley of Poschiavo were however mainly focused towards Valtellina until the beginning of the 20th century.

Sporadic stray finds of stone tools from the region of the Bernina Pass show that human beings were here already in the Stone Age. Several dateable horse shoes and the iron spur of a rider from the 7th/8th century after Christ were found on this mule track which shall nowadays be conserved as a hiking trail.

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