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Livigno (; local ; ) is a town, comune and a special-administered territory in the province of Sondrio, in the region of Lombardy, Italy, located in the Italian Alps, near the Switzerland border.
Politically, Livigno has always followed Bormio's history, although the relationships between the two communes have always been tense, Bormio being dominant and more populous than Livigno. Until the 1970s Livigno was a farming village. In recent decades, however, things have changed, and nowadays Livigno enjoys a better economic situation and a higher number of inhabitants. Livigno has recently enjoyed one of Italy's highest birth rates (19.4 births per 1000 inhabitants). Livigno's economy is based on tourism, both in winter and in summer, and on its duty-free status, with goods sold at bargain prices.
| + Below freezing days, 2009–2017 |
| Year |
| 138.3 |
| 254.6 |
Other buildings of note are the Caravaggio church, with some ex voto paintings and a picture which is traditionally attributed to Caravaggio, and Saint Rocco church, built at the beginning of the 16th century as an offering for protecting the village against plague. Local scenery encompasses high peaked mountains and deep valleys.
The justification for such a status is the difficulty in reaching Livigno during winter, and the centuries-long history of poverty in the region. The various states wanted to ensure people would have an incentive to live in the area (so that they could claim it territorially). At the same time, the tax revenue from Livigno would have been negligible.
Only three roads lead to the town. Two link to Switzerland, one through the Livigno Pass, elevation and open in summer only, and the second through the Munt la Schera Tunnel. The third road connects to other parts of Italy through the Foscagno Pass, elevation .
Leaving Livigno for the rest of Italy, there is a customs checkpoint on the road staffed by officers of the Italian militarized Guardia di Finanza. Entering or leaving from or to Switzerland there are both Guardia di Finanza officers and Swiss Border Guards.
Nowadays Livigno is a rich area, and the main activities are linked to tourism, especially as a ski resort. Many inhabitants of Valtellina visit once in a while to buy goods at substantially lower prices, especially tax-free gasoline, sometimes from as far as Sondrio. The tax free allowance for tourists applied here is the same as the one applied to travellers coming from any non EU country.
The 2005 Union Cycliste Internationale mountain biking world championships were held here, from 28 August to 4 September.
The mass-media sector is quite developed as well. In the 1980s a local radio, Radio Alteuropa, used to broadcast from Livigno, covering up to a wide part of the neighbouring Valtellina valley. The local monthly newspaper, Al Restel, was founded in the same period and it is still published today.
Nowadays, most information is given by a TV channel, TeleMonteNeve, which broadcasts the city council's meetings, a news report three times a week and other information both for residents and for tourists. On-line new media is also growing. An example is Senzaiva, an on-line cultural magazine. Its name means "without VAT", referring to the special duty-free status of Livigno and of all cultural products.
The local dialect has been categorized in a dictionary, funded by the local administration. This language variety is used locally in street names and in some other signs, as well as on the official maps.
Sport also plays an important role. In Livigno there are nearly 20 sport associations, most of them are supported by an association called Sporting Club. Many young athletes often end up with good results in their discipline (see Notable people below).
At the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, no less than eight Italian athletes came from Livigno. It will be used for snowboarding and freestyle skiing in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
In 2015, Livigno was home to the European Freeride Festival which ran between 31 January and 4 February.
Sport is relevant also in terms of tourism. In Livigno people not only go and see sports competitions, which is a key component of so-called sport tourism, but also play outdoor or indoor sports. The local tourist offer covers the four seasons, so there's the possibility not only of practising winter sports but also trekking, mountain biking, and since the lake was made navigable, water sports became another option. Furthermore, due to its above sea level, Livigno often hosts the training sessions of professional athletes of different disciplines, who come to the alpine resort to benefit from the high altitude.Mambretti E., Ruberto T., Livigno. Una storia che viene da lontano, Lyasis Edizioni, Sondrio, 2015.
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