Sondrio Province is one of the 11 provinces of Lombardy in Italy, and the least populated. Sondrio town counts 21,642 inhabitants (2001) and is located in the northern part of Lombardy just in the very centre of Valtellina.

The province covers 3,212 sq. km and has a population of 176,856 (2001), divided in 78 communes ranging in population from Sondrio to Pedesina (only 34 inhabitants) and in size from Valdidentro (244.41 sq. km²) to Poggiridenti (2.93 km²)

Its name came from the Latin Sundrium that was a kind of private property of lands cultivated directly by the landlord and his subjects.

These lands are now cultivated with wineyards and the most famous are Sassella and Grumello. Wine represents one of the main resources of this region together with tourism, especially in winter.

The heart of Sondrio is its central Garibaldi Square. Not far from it is the Palazzo Sassi that is home of the Art and History Museum of Valtellina .

External links

• Official page