Premana is located in Valvarrone at the foot of Mounts Legnone 2,610mt and Pizzo Alto 2,518mt in the Orobic Alps between Valsassina and Valtellina.

The area surrounding Premana is mainly birch, pine and chestnut tree woodlands that rise from the bottom of the valley up to the high pastures, which in turn lead to the mountain peaks that ring the town, and delineate its borders.

Scattered across the area are twelve mountain pastures or "Mont" as they are called locally, (Barconcelli, Caprecolo, Casarsa, Chiarino, Deleguaggio, Forni, Fraina, Piancalada, Premaniga, Rasga, Solino, Vegessa).

However, Rome did not upset the rhythm, customs and traditions of their lives, but it did exact taxation and furthermore, across the centuries the imposed submission did eventually influence the Alpine populations and their societies.

The origin of the name Premana derives from Premanum, a Roman outpost manned by soldiers principally concerned in procuring the much sought-after Premanese production of arms.

The impervious terrain meant that the Valvarrone region was far away from communication routes and immediately it became, and remained throughout the war, an important logistical base for all of the various partisan units, thanks also to the help and cooperation of the local inhabitants.

The Trona pass was a reference point for the partisans and along with many other places in the hinterland of Premana, such as Alpe Barconcelli, became the headquarters of resistance groups.

In the lagoon city, the Premanesi worked as blacksmiths, coppersmiths, they crafted knives, swords and other kinds of armaments plus cutting tools and utensils.