Tirano: Madonna di Tirano
Tirano is a town in Valtellina, located in the province of Sondrio in northern Italy. Tirano has two neighboring railway stations. One, a standard gauge station, is operated by Trenitalia, the state railway company, and is terminus of the Tirano–Lecco railway.
The line of the Bernina Railway connects St. Moritz (Canton of Graubünden/Switzerland) with Tirano. The complete line was opened in 1910. In 2008 the Bernina Railway as well as the Albula Railway were recorded from UNESCO in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Located nearby is the Catholic shrine of the Madonna di Tirano, a major tourist attraction. The shrine is dedicated to the appearance of the Blessed Mother to Mario Degli Omodei on September 29, 1504, an event religious pilgrims credit with ending a pestilence.
The Palazzo Salis close by the municipal offices is a remarkable example of the use of trompe l’oeil to create the illusion of architectural features.
Despite its population of less than 10,000, Tirano is considered a city because of the walls that were built to protect it.