Gurro is a small village hiding an ancient history. It is  situated in the Cannobina Valley, a vast mountain area between the Ossola Valley and Lake Maggiore, bordering on Canton Ticino, and easily reached from Cannobio, coming from the direction of  Lake Maggiore, or from Malesco, coming from the Vigezzo Valley.

The story goes that the village dates back to 1525, the year when some Scottish mercenaries, at the service of Francis I of France, settled here after defeat at the battle of Pavia. Being an expression of the customs and popular culture of the whole of the Cannobina Valley, Gurro conserves to this day an ancient historic centre with stone-built houses boasting huge wooden balconies, tightly clinging one to the other, and narrow streets winding through the village.

In the centre is the Ethnographic Museum of Valle Cannobina, which offers us a real glimpse into the past. Clothes, lace, toys, earthernware and work tools all made of wood testify to a prevalently rural and agricultural life-style. As Gurro is  well-known in the area for its working of hemp and wool, the museum also houses traditional spinning implements, a weaving loom and hackling combs.