Novara e provincia. Una finestra sul territorio_ENG

n ova ra e provin cia

Una finestra sul territorio

w w w . t u r i s m o n o va ra . i t

n ova ra e provin cia Una finestra sul territorio

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Novara and its territory have always been a place of passage, the crossroads of a fully-articulated road system, at the same time complex yet linear in tracing routes towards the Alpine passes, the sea, Milan or Turin.

In the past, Novara and its province were a land of transit, given that the Via Francigena, the Via Francisca, the Via Settimia, the Consular Road from Milan to Vercelli and the Strada Biandrina, to mention only the most important routes, all intersected here. And they still have this role today, at a time in which they represent a fundamental junction, both national and international, for railway as well as roadway traffic.

But this is just one aspect of the Novara area which, instead, presents us with a much richer reality to discover from many other perspectives: cultural, historical, artistic, naturalistic, productive, artisan and enogastronomic. The territory holds in its arts and traditions signs of stylistic contaminations, various schools of thought and different cultures. Testimonies of ancient and modern history merge, leaving space for the imagery, legends and narrative heritage that together contribute to make this area even more unique, a place to be discovered slowly, on foot or by bicycle along the many paths winding through the entire province, particularly well-suited and appreciated by fans of slow tourism and cycle tourism.

The beauty of Novara does not remain enclosed within the ramparts of its historic centre, but extends far beyond: from the rice fields of the Bassa Novarese flooded with water in spring, to the gently rolling hills covered with grapevines, to the Sesia and Ticino rivers, to Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta, to the woods on the slopes of the Mottarone, to the parks and nature reserves famous for their flora and fauna. Visitors, also thanks to this guide, can spend their days relaxing and strolling amidst the provincial capital’s beautiful historical buildings, visiting museums and eco-museums, discovering little jewels of art and architecture, and then stopping in one of the typical restaurants where traditional dishes, paired with the excellent DOC and DOGC wines of the Novara Hills, can be enjoyed. This unique publication, conceived by the Local Tourist Board for the Province of Novara, has been developed within the Urban Sketcher nel Novarese project, with the collaboration of the Province of Novara and the Liceo Artistico Musicale e Coreutico “F. Casorati” of Novara and Romagnano Sesia.

Modern urban sketchers have interpreted with great skill and sensitivity, through their drawings and sketches, the monuments and landscapes of our lands, giving us a new illustrated guide reminiscent of the cahiers de voyage of travellers of the past.

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Novara is a city rich in traditions, history and artistic masterpieces, created little by little, in a sequence of stratifications and influences which have made it a lively cultural centre, an ideal stop for a visit throughout the entire year. Its true soul emerges in the historic centre, which revolves around the Basilica of San Gaudenzio and that daring structure that dominates everything, and that everyone looks at: Alessandro Antonelli’s Dome; its 121 metres design the skyline of the province’s capital city, giving it that beloved and familiar shape in which the people of Novara recognise themselves, so much so that it has become the symbol of the city itself.

Our ideal itinerary starts from Piazza Cavour, in the centre of which a marble statue of the statesman stands, and where the remains of walls attesting to the city’s Roman period can be seen. As we walk along Corso Cavour, the ancient Cardo of the Roman city, we come across elegant 18th- and 19th-century buildings. Continuing on to the intersection with Corso Italia, you can admire the remains of a medieval tower, and then proceed to Palazzo Natta-Isola, characterized by a tall medieval tower and now the seat of the Province and the Prefecture, attributed to the architect, sculptor and painter Pellegrino Tibaldi, who also designed the Basilica of San Gaudenzio. Upon entering, you can admire the beautiful 16th-century four-sided portico whose pavement, laid with two-tone river pebbles, reproduces a wind rose; the rich ornamental apparatus features granite Doric columns, friezes and sculptures that form a varied and harmonious decorative complex presumably borrowed from medieval repertoires. Once past the Sala del Consiglio (Council Chamber), we find ourselves in a context that is quite rare for a historic centre: a lovely 18th-century garden. Not far away, in Via Canobio, we find Casa della Porta, one of the most interesting examples of late Gothic art in the city, Casa Rognoni with the Toy Museum and Palazzo Medici. In the nearby Piazza Gramsci, you can admire the Church of San Pietro al Rosario, which houses splendid Baroque artworks. Close by, Palazzo Cabrino, seat of the Municipality, was erected in the 17th century according to modules

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of Baroque architecture. In several rooms on the first floor it conserves precious 17th-century frescoes painted by Giovanni Stefano Doneda, known as Montalto. Continuing on, we come to Piazza Cesare Battisti, better known as Piazza delle Erbe, with porticoes on three sides: this has been the true heart of the city since the Middle Ages, so much so that a triangular stone of light-coloured granite set into the porphyry paving marks the very central point of Novara.

Among the buildings facing the square, Casa Canobio, a typical example of civil architecture of the 15th/16th century, can be distinguished on the eastern side. There you can see fragments of frescoes with floral motifs and a series of circular terracotta reliefs with the profiles of Nerva and Galba, Roman emperors of the 1st century AD. A few steps away is Piazza della Repubblica, also known as Piazza del Duomo, with its imposing colonnade and the Casa del Corpo di Guardia (Guardhouse), inaugurated in 1837, on which stands the statue sculpted by Giuseppe Argenti depicting the City of Novara. Under the eaves there is a bas-relief illustrating the pacification between the Guelph and Ghibelline factions of the city in 1310 wanted by Emperor Henry VII. Beneath the arcades on the eastern side of the square, an ancient column, which according to popular narratives has barometric virtues, is worth our attention. Turning into the alleyway, we come to the Chiostro della Canonica (Cloister of the Rectory) in which the Musei della Canonica del Duomo (Museums of the Rectory of the Cathedral) with their rich collections are found. Returning to Piazza della Repubblica, you can visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria, a neoclassical work designed by Alessandro Antonelli in which he incorporated parts of the previous Roman-

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Novara esque cathedral, including a large fragment of the presbytery’s mosaic floor.

The imposing central entrance doorway, 19 metres in height, is considered one of the most grandiose in Europe. The interior presents three aisles, divided by monumental columns with Corinthian capitals, and important paintings such as the Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine by Gaudenzio Ferrari (16th century). Adjoining the sacristy are the Chapel of Bernardino Lanino with its splendid 16th-century frescoes and the Chapel of San Siro, built in the second half of the 12th century as the bishop’s private oratory. On the three walls of the nave there are scenes from the Life of St. Syrus and, on the vault, a Christ in Majesty painted in the second half of the 12th century (around 1180); on the back wall there is a Crucifixion from the early 14th century. From the four-sided portico of the Cathedral you can access the Baptistery, dating back to the 4th/5th century and considered one of the major Early Christian buildings in northern Italy; inside are the remains of the primitive octagonal baptismal font and precious frescoes illustrating one of the most dramatic pages of the Apocalypse, dated to the late 10th century, and a Last Judgement from the 15th century. Behind the Baptistery is the noteworthy 17th-century Oratory of San Giovanni Decollato, seat of the homonymous confraternity, filled with beautiful paintings. From Piazza Puccini we move towards the Broletto Monumental Complex, composed of four buildings built in different periods ranging from the 13th to the 18th cen-

BROLETTO

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Novara tury, where the political and judicial activities of the city once took place. The great hall of the medieval Palazzo dell’Arengo hosts exhibitions, conferences and events. The complex is home to the Paolo and Adele Giannoni Gallery of Modern Art, which houses a rich collection of paintings and sculptures by Italian artists including Fattori, Morbelli, Nomellini and Casorati. As we exit onto Corso Italia, another main shopping street in Novara, and then take Via Avogadro, we walk along the 18th-century Palazzo Avogadro, seat of the Chamber of Commerce, which starting in 1842 was enlarged, renovated and redesigned by Alessandro Antonelli according to the dictates of neoclassical style; we then reach the Baroque Church of San Marco, adorned by an abundance of artworks, which dates back to 1607, the year in which Bishop Carlo Bascapè himself laid the first stone. Among the works of art displayed, the canvas by Daniele Crespi depicting the Martyrdom of St. Mark, dating to the third decade of the 17th century, is worthy of attention. Preserved in the chapel dedicated to St. Charles Borromeo is the painting by Moncalvo depicting San Carlo in procession with the relic of the Holy Nail. A little further along Via Negroni we find Palazzo Bellini, built during the 16th and 17th centuries, the historical seat of the Banca Popolare di Novara and the theatre of important historical events: in fact, Napoleon Bonaparte arrived here on May 31, 1800, and drew up the plan of the Battle of Marengo in the magnificent Music Hall. A few years later, on the evening of March 23, 1849, after the Battle of Bicocca, the King of Sardinia Carlo Alberto abdicated in favour of his son Vittorio Emanuele, and in 1859 the French emperor Napoleon III, allied with the Savoys, stayed there before leading his army in the decisive Battle of Magenta. In the sumptuous staterooms there are numerous works of art, including a precious 17th-century collection of corals. We then turn right into Via San Gaudenzio to reach the Basilica of San Gaudenzio, the 18th-century Bell Tower by Benedetto Alfieri and the 121-metre-high Antonellian Dome, symbol of the city of Novara. The project of the Basilica was entrusted to Pellegrino Tibaldi; works for its construction began in 1577 and the consecration of the church took place on December 13, 1590. The exterior of the building is magnificent: the sides and the apse are in exposed brickwork and clad with Angera stone at the base; on the

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Novara pediment is the city’s coat of arms with the inscription Civitatis Novariæ, meaning: “belonging to the city of Novara,” because this is how it was considered by the community of Novara, which financed its construction. Inside, kept in the precious scurolo, is the urn with the remains of St. Gaudentius, the first bishop and patron saint of the city. The patronal feast is celebrated on January 22nd of each year with the Ceremony of Roses commemorating one of the Saint’s miracles. Late Renaissance in style, with a Latin-cross plan, the interior offers visitors the sight of exquisite artworks attributable to Bernardino Lanino, Tanzio da Varallo, Moncalvo, Morazzone and a beautiful polyptych by Gaudenzio Ferrari. To crown the Basilica, in the 19th century the Dome designed by architect and engineer Alessandro Antonelli was raised. He, using only bricks and mortar, built one of the most daring masonry structures in the history of world architecture (to arrange a visit, contact the Local Tourist Board of the Province of Novara, tel. +39 0321.394059). To the side of the Basilica, continuing along Via Gaudenzio Ferrari, we reach the Faraggiana Ferrandi Natural History Museum, which contains the scientific and ethnographic collections of the homonymous family.

A short detour leads us to the Romanesque Church of Ognissanti, in the Spanish Quarter, near the former Collegio Napoleonico, now the Convitto Carlo Alberto. The historic centre is surrounded by tree-lined ramparts better known as Baluardi, partly remnants of the ancient fortifications built over the centuries to defend the city, now rich in different varieties of trees and elegant architecture.

Along the first stretch of the Baluardo Quintino Sella you can admire the Art Nouveau-style Casa Rosina, and a little further on, the neoclassical Casa Bossi designed by Alessandro Antonelli, defined as the most beautiful neoclassical building in Italy. It is one of Antonelli’s most complete works, a synthesis of all the technical and formal research carried out by the architect. Continuing on, we arrive at the 19th-century Barriera Albertina, formerly the customs gate, with two twin neoclassical buildings that in 1837 replaced the 17th-century Porta Vercelli, at that time an obligatory passage on the Strada Regia from Turin to Milan. After passing Palazzo delle Poste, the post office built in 1929, we reach Piazza Martiri della Libertà, in the centre of which stands an equestrian statue of Victor Emanuel II, and onto which face Palazzo Venezia (1930) and the 19th-century Palazzo Orelli, built to house the new grain market. This building, whose entrance is enriched by sculptures depicting famous scholars of economics, preserves memories of the city’s history in its neoclassical façade, where two cannonballs fired by the Austrians during the Battle of Bicocca (1849) are still visible. Opposite Palazzo Orelli stands the Castello Visconteo-Sforzesco, whose original nucleus dates to 1272; extensively remodelled over the cen8

Novara turies according to needs, it finally became a prison. Currently, after conservative restoration work and several reconstructions, in its conference rooms the castle houses permanent and temporary exhibitions and the seat of ExpoRisorgimento, with a collection of relics and memorabilia dating back to the 19th century. Extending around the castle is the large public Parco dell’Allea, an ideal place for enjoying recreational pastimes and leisurely strolls, with a rich arboreal heritage boasting secular trees. On the eastern side of the square you can at last admire the imposing volumes of the Teatro Coccia, built in 1886 in late 19th-century classical style. Today it offers a vast repertoire of shows, from opera to ballet, from prose to musicals, to jazz concerts. Also recently returned to the city, the Nuovo Teatro Faraggiana, in the vicinity of Piazza Cavour, is characterized by a rich, lively theatre season. The monuments in Novara do not end here, in fact, we would like to mention a few more: the Ospedale Maggiore della Carità, a hospital with a four-sided Baroque portico designed by the architect Soliva and, based on a design by Alessandro Antonelli, the imposing structure beside the Church of San Michele. In the San Martino district, the ancient Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, with its precious frescoes, is worthy of note. Moving towards the city cemetery, near the Colle della Vittoria is the seat of the Museo Storico Novarese Aldo Rossini, a historical museum which houses documents and testimonies of the First and Second World Wars, and of the Wars of Independence of the Italian Risorgimento; nearby there is the Church of San Nazzaro alla Costa, built in the 15th century with the extension and renovation of an ancient 12th-century oratory of the Poor Clares and modified over time. Inside, there are precious frescoes painted by the great masters of the Renaissance art of Novara.

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The Rice Plain Criss-crossed by waterways, the rice-growing plain is rich in protected areas and ancient villages united by a network of cycling routes. Our journey, designed for those who love to discover traditions, flavours and nature, winds through the lower province: here the flat and monotonous territory characterized by the cultivation of rice is interrupted by rows of poplar trees, small country oratories, castles and ancient farmsteads bearing witness to the history and to the popular and religious traditions of these lands.

Our itinerary starts from Galliate, an agricultural and industrial town in the Ticino valley, which in the past was the subject of bitter disputes between Novara and Milan, and thus followed the fate of the Milanese duchy for many centuries.

The centre is dominated by the mighty Castello Visconteo-Sforzesco, built in 1476 on a previous Visconti military fortification as a hunting residence; it has a rectangular plan with towers crowned

by Ghibelline battlements and machicolations as well as a wide moat. Today the castle is largely owned by the Municipality of Galliate; inside we find the library, with beautiful frescoed rooms, the council hall and several exhibition spaces, one of which is dedicated to the race car driver born in Galliate, Achille Varzi. Not far away is the Parish Church of Santi Pietro e Paolo, rebuilt in the 19th century in neo-Gothic style, with its characteristic unfinished bell tower, 45 metres in height. Leaving the historic centre, in Vulpiate there is the Sanctuary of the Varallino dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin, built at the end of the 16th century on plans by Pellegrino Tibaldi; the building follows the model of the Sacred Mountains, with painted chapels and beautiful statues representing the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Joyful Mysteries by Dionigi Bussola and Giuseppe Argenti. Worthy of note in the dome, is the masterpiece depicting Paradise painted by Lorenzo Peracino. There are many opportunities for discovering the territory of Galliate through walks or excursions on foot, by bicycle or on horseback in the Ticino Park, rich in historical memories, ingenious hydraulic works and industrial 10

The Rice Plain archaeology such as the Orlandi Hydroelectric Power Station, the Naviglio Langosco canal and the well-equipped area of Sette Fontane, which takes its name from its seven springs and was already a place of leisure in the first half of the 19th century. Just a few kilometres away is Romentino, a village with ancient origins, as confirmed by archaeological finds dating back to the Iron Age and Roman times found in the area; its historic centre extends around the Parish Church of San Gaudenzio: first attested to in 1133, the present-day building is the result of numerous reconstructions over the centuries. It contains a fine Last Supper (1612) by the artist Carlo Cane. A short distance to the south there is Trecate, an ancient settlement probably referable to the Golasecca culture; it was certainly inhabited in Roman times, as evidenced by finds dating to that period found in the area. The history of the town is characterized by various phases of domination, mainly due to its strategic position near the Ticino river and along the route for Milan. In the last century, the economy of Trecate has seen, alongside agriculture, great industrial development mainly related to the chemical sector. In the centre there is the Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, of ancient origins, but the result of subsequent renovations and restorations; inside it has an impressive high altar in polychrome marble dated to 1691, and a frescoed pillar depicting Saint Catherine of Alexandria; we also find the scurolo of Saint Clem-

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The Rice Plain ent, with frescoes by Lorenzo Peracino. Near the church, a worthwhile stop is the Oratory of the Confraternity of the Gonfalone, entrusted with the organization of processions and rites in preparation for Easter. Built around the end of the 16th century, it is decorated with a large altarpiece by Il Cerano. Behind it are the Church and the Convent of San Francesco, which we admire today in their 17th-century forms. The restoration works completed in 1985 recovered 16th-century frescoes attributed to Giovan Battista Crespi (Il Cerano); the decorations of the vault of the choir depicting biblical scenes are, instead, by Francesco Nuvolone. The Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie, already a pilgrimage destination in ancient times, and Villa Cicogna, with its splendid park, also merit a visit.

Heading south-east we reach Cerano, a village with an agricultural and industrial vocation; it is the adopted town of Giovan Battista Crespi, known as Il Cerano, official painter of Cardinal Federico Borromeo, to whom we owe the altarpiece depicting the Last Supper over the main altar of the Parish Church. Worthy of note is the13th-century Church of San Pietro near the cemetery. To favour agriculture in the Middle Ages, irrigation ditches, canals, mills and farmsteads were built which are still visible today.

To the west is Sozzago, an agricultural town with ancient origins dedicated to the cultivation of rice and fruit trees. Here the Parish Church of San Silvano, already documented in the 12th century, contains Baroque frescoes and precious stuccoes decorating the vaults; the wooden choir behind the polychrome altar is also worthy of note.

Next to the town hall is Palazzo Rognoni, an ancient rural residence with a large, well-planted park. Our route continues southwards, arriving in the rice-growing village of Terdobbiate, where in the 10th century there is mention of a fortification, rebuilt in the 15th century and used, since the second half of the 17th 12

The Rice Plain century, as a private residence. It has an adjoining park full of monumental tree species. Worthy of mention is the Oratory of San Pietro, with frescoes attributed to Francesco Cagnola, and dated to the first half of the 16th century. The provincial road then leads to Tornaco, a quiet agricultural village rising around the Parish Church of Santa Maria Maddalena: its origins go back to the 12th century, but it was enlarged in the 17th century, when the two side chapels and then the side aisles were added. Inside you can admire the Baroque high altar in polychrome marble and a 16th-century fresco attributed to the school of Tommaso Cagnola. Built on the site where there was once a castle dating back to the 15th century, Villa Marzoni is today the permanent seat of the Museo della Civiltà e della Cultura della Bassa Novarese, an ethnographic museum which conserves tools and other objects related to the agricultural activities of the area. Outside the town stands the Oratory of Santo Stefano, modified in the 18th century, but having older origins, as shown by the apse and the lower part of the side walls. The form of the apse is particular: large and rather low, it is divided by five wide pilasters connected with hanging arches. The building was maintained in excellent condition until the 15th century, when the monks had it decorated with precious frescoes. The village is also known for its white asparagus and the vast production of rice: in Tornaco, in fact, the Razza77 variety, after having been forgotten for years, has been rediscovered and just recently revalued. It is assumed that modern Italian rice cultivation began in these areas at the time of the Sforza domination. Proceeding towards the southern border of the province we come to Borgolavezzaro, where numerous archaeological finds bearing witness to the ancient origins of the village have been discovered. Along the main street stands the 18th-century Palazzo Longoni, built by the homonymous family of landowners as a private residence. In 1849, at the time of the

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The Rice Plain First War of Independence, it hosted the headquarters of Marshal Radetzky during the Battle of Novara. The building is now municipal property and houses an elementary school. Inside, the wooden ceilings of the first floor are still visible; the reception hall and the main staircase are also noteworthy. In the central square stands the Parish Church of Santi Bartolomeo e Gaudenzio, designed

by Alessandro Antonelli in 1858 and completed in 1862 in neoclassical style; it has a single nave and is preceded by a pronaos with four granite columns and Corinthian capitals supporting an architrave with tympanum. Inside, the high altar in polychrome marble is dated 1754, while the 17th-century bell tower, incorporated into the church, is from the previous parish church. On the western edge of the town are the Oasi di Natura Campo della Ghina, Campo della Sciurä, Campo del Munton and the Laboratorio Agogna Morta, naturalistic areas created by the Burchvif Cultural Association to protect the original, partly lost habitats of the Po Valley. Further north is Vespolate, a traditionally agricultural town devoted particularly to the cultivation of rice and on whose main square stands the Parish Church of Santi Giovanni Battista e Antonio Abbate, rebuilt on the site of a pre-existing 16th-century building. On the eastern edge of the town, on the road leading to Tornaco and isolated amidst the rice fields, is the Romanesque Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista. Its existence is testified to since the 11th century, but it was perhaps built in a more ancient period on the site of a pagan temple. The church has a single nave with a semi-circular apse; its 17th-century bell tower and a small chapel are located on the southern side.

The Parish Church was remodelled over the centuries with the demolition of the two side aisles. Inside you can admire 15th-century frescoes and a precious ancona in terracotta with a coeval painting of the Virgin and Child, Saints and patron (15th centu-

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The Rice Plain ry). In the town centre stands the Castle, built in the 11th century and radically transformed over time; today it is a private residence. On the provincial road that leads to Novara we find Nibbiola, which stands on a small hill, around the Castello dei Tornielli, documented since the late 12th century and later remodelled, now privately owned.

On the main square, next to the Town Hall, stands the single-nave Parish Church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria dating back to the 16th century. Our itinerary continues towards Garbagna Novarese, to visit the Romanesque Oratory dedicated to the Madonna di Campagna, already documented in the 11th century, which preserves precious frescoes dating back to the 15th century attributed to the workshop of the Cagnola. The building has a single nave with a semi-circular apse and hanging arches between pilasters; the façade, originally gabled, is a 20th-century reconstruction. Along the provincial road there is Palazzo Caroelli, built at the end of the 18th century, the country residence of ancient feudal lords. Returning to Nibbiola, we take the SP6 that leads us to Monticello through a landscape of rice fields bordered by rows of poplar trees, irrigation canals and old farmhouses. In the centre stands the Parish Church dedicated to Santi Gervasio e Protasio built on a small hill; the interior is embellished with a 17th-century canvas depicting the Annunciation and a Baroque altar in polychrome marble. Continuing along the provincial road we reach Granozzo, which has always been an agricultural centre. Here, in addition to the Parish Church of the Assunta, there is also the Oratory of Santa Maria e San Rocco built following the plagues of the 17th century, which conserves two 16th-century frescoes depicting the Madonna delle Grazie and the Madonna del Latte. Venturing further into the landscape of rice fields we reach Casalino, where you can admire the Parish Church of San Pietro: here, in 1194, the peace treaty between Novara and Vercelli was drawn up after almost twenty years of fierce combat; the building has three aisles under a wooden truss ceiling and two

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The Rice Plain semi-circular apses. The church was frescoed during the 15th century, but later intensively altered, until in the 19th century the paintings were almost completely covered with a layer of plaster. Worth mentioning is the 14th-centuryCastello dei Leonardi, a private property surrounded by a large park. In the frazione of Cameriano, the Parish Church of Santo Stefano standing in the centre of the town was already mentioned in the 11th century as a parish church. Along the state road that connects Novara with Vercelli and just before reaching Cameriano, there is the locality of Peltrengo, where the fortified Casaforte conserves remains from the original 14th-century construction. Also worth a visit is the Oratory of San Martino, with its splendid 15th-century frescoes. In the old cemetery on the edge of the village, in disuse for fifty years now, you can admire the butterfly garden: here trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants have been planted which are able to attract butterflies of different species thanks to their production of fruits, flowers and leaves. In the southernmost part of the province of Novara lies the village of Vinzaglio, where the Castello Sella is found, a castle whose original nucleus dates to the 13th century, surrounded by a beautiful park. The Parish Church is dedicated to the Assunta and was built in the 17th century with a single nave and six side chapels; the altar in polychrome marble is of fine workmanship. A short distance to the north, we find Casalvolone, a small village of Roman origin, as evidenced by the findings from that period now conserved at the Lapidarium of Novara. Here the ancient Romanesque Parish Church of San Pietro near the cemetery is worth a stop. The bell tower belonged to the building which before the year 1000 stood on the site of the present church; the 15th-century frescoes are quite interesting. The Parish Church of San Pietro Apostolo holds an altarpiece by Giuseppe Giovenone. Not far away we come to Casalbeltrame, listed among the Slow Cities for the cultivation of aromatic Venus and Artemis black rice. In the centre of town stands Villa Bracorens Savoiroux, a 19th-century construction whose garden holds a centuries-old Ginkgo Biloba tree. It is home to a contemporary art gallery with works by Manzù, Pomodoro, Bodini, Messina, and Mastroianni. Nearby, the Cascinale 16

The Rice Plain

dei Nobili houses the Museo dell’Attrezzo Agricolo ‘l Çivel, an ethnographic museum with a rich collection of objects and tools having to do with the rural world as well as an interactive section. Also part of the complex is an interesting series of five churches of different sizes, some of which are deconsecrated and house laboratories or confraternities.

Moving westwards, we reach San Nazzaro Sesia, a village characterized by a predominantly agricultural economy, situated on the banks of the river in the Parco delle Lame del Sesia. Here we find the fortified Complesso Abbaziale dedicated to Santi Nazario e Celso, one of the most important in the Po Valle.

It was founded in 1040 by the Bishop of Novara and his brothers, the Counts of Biandrate, near the ford of the Sesia river, to defend the territory during the period of the bloody battles between Novara, Vercelli and Milan. It experienced its period of greatest splendour in the 15th century, when its Abbot was Antonio Barbavara, who introduced new crops, started land reclamation and made structural changes to the complex. Later the abbey fell into ruin, up until the confiscation of ecclesiastical property in 1801 under Napoleon. After a period of neglect, the restoration and refurbishing of the structure brought the place back to its former glory. Inside its defensive walls we find the imposing bell tower and the narthex, both Romanesque (11th century). At the end of the narthex stands the church in Lombard-Gothic style in which both the rose window and

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The Rice Plain the portal are richly decorated in terracotta. The interior is embellished with 15th-century frescoes; the 15th-century cloister is characterized by cross vaults and sumptuous terracotta decoration. Still visible on the walls is an interesting cycle of frescoes depicting episodes from the life of St. Benedict. At a short distance are the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Fontana and the Oratory of San Rocco. A few kilometres further ahead, after crossing the Cavour Canal, an important work of 19th-century hydraulic engineering, we find Recetto, where traces are still visible of a fortified “ricetto” from which the village itself took its name in the second half of the 14th century. The complex was never intended for the defence of the community but served as a private residence. Just outside the town, along the banks of the Sesia river, there is the Waterski Nautical Park, opened in 1994, which hosts many important national and international sporting events. Our itinerary then takes us eastwards to Biandrate, proven to be of ancient origins by recent archaeological excavations. Its name is linked to the counts who during the Middle Ages dominated a vast territory that extended as far as the Ossola Valley. Here passes the Via Biandrina, a route that in the same period took on considerable strategic and economic importance, connecting the Valsesia to Vercelli from north to south; at Biandrate it intersected the Strada Lombarda, on an east-west axis, connecting Milan and Turin and passing through Novara. The existence of a castle, whose few remaining wall fragments are incorporated into the urban fabric, has been attested to since the 11th century. Destroyed by the Lombard League in 1168 and abandoned by the counts, the vast feud was dismembered and divided between Vercelli and Novara, and a statute was drawn up to prevent its reconstruction. The Church of San Colombano, mentioned in 12th century, is worth a visit; of the Romanesque church only the atrium with four cross-vaulted bays remains, as well as four terracotta tiles with zoomorphic representations. The scenes of the Last Judgement (1444) and the effigy of Christ Pantocrator with the symbols of the four Evangelists attributed to Giovanni de Campo are of a fine quality. The scurolo with the relics of San Sereno, patron saint of the village who according to legend died in Biandrate during a pilgrimage to

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The Rice Plain Rome, is from the 14th century. Outside the town stands the 18th-century Sanctuary of the Madonna della Preiera. Not far away we find Vicolungo, a village that in ancient times always gravitated around the more powerful Biandrate, until it was assigned to Vercelli. On the main square there is the Parish Church dedicated to San Giorgio, of Romanesque origins, today returned to us in its 16th-century forms. On the exterior walls there is a fine fresco depicting St. George, the dragon and a princess; on the inside, Lanino’s canvas depicting the Virgin with Saints is worthy of attention.

To the side is the Castle consisting of various structures built in different periods. Outside the town, along the Via Biandrina, stands the Palazzi complex, presumably of ancient origins, which was the casaforte and fief of the Counts of Biandrate, used for the storage of agricultural products. Inside you can admire the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (1591) richly decorated with stuccoes and frescoes datable from the 15th to the 17th century; it can be considered a real workshop where the most famous painters of the time worked, including the Cagnola, De Campo, Merli, Canta and perhaps even Gaudenzio Ferrari. Also worth a visit is the Romanesque Oratory of San Martino located near the present-day shopping Outlet; dating back to the 12th century it has a single nave embellished by a series of 15th-century frescoes. A short detour leads us to Landiona, where vestiges are found of the castle built in 1280, but modified several times, of which only the tower with a lovely loggia remains. Its perimeter walls are also largely preserved; in the vast inner courtyard there is a solidly-built 17th-century palazzo which now houses the Town Hall. Outside the town stands the Oratory of Santa Maria dei Campi, of very ancient origins, complete with a pronaos that served as a shelter for wayfarers passing along the Via Biandrina.

The interior conserves fine frescoes attributed to Bartolonus da Novara and to the workshop of

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The Rice Plain Tommaso Cagnola. To the north, along this historic road, is Carpignano Sesia, an agricultural village lying on the banks of the Sesia river. Traces of its medieval past can be seen in the Castle, with two-storey houses accessed by external wooden stairs. The Romanesque Church of San Pietro is found here; now owned by the Municipality, it was built in the 11th century as the chapel of the castrum.

It was then owned by Cluniac monks, and later used for various purposes; restoration works have revealed three apses made of brick and river pebbles and marked by pilasters connected by hanging arches. The interior walls are covered with important ancient frescoes dating back to the 12th century: a Christ Pantocrator with the Apostles in the apse basin and a depiction of a savage; dating back to the Gothic period, instead, are the Archangel Gabriel and the Madonna of the Annunciation. In one of the castle’s cellars there is a wine press dated 1575 made from a 13-metre-long elm tree trunk. Not far away we find the imposing Parish Church of the Assunta, built on the previous medieval church, with a single nave and four side chapels. Carpignano is famous for the production of the Fragola, or American, grape recognized as an excellence with superior organoleptic characteristics: a resistant skin able to maintain its nutritional properties and a particularly sweet taste with a clear hint of strawberry.

Towards the south we come to Sillavengo: here the 14th-century Church of Santa Maria Nova merits a visit; featuring interesting pebble and brick masonry, inside it preserves a cycle of 15th-century frescoes. In the cemetery, instead, we find the Church of Santa Maria Vetere, built in the Romanesque period but subjected to numerous modifications and renovations over the centuries. The Parish Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in the centre of town is currently visible in its 19th-century forms, even though its origins are 16th-century. Inside it conserves an organ built in 1653.

Not far away is Mandello Vitta, formerly a property of the Caccia family; at 20

The Rice Plain the entrance of the town stands a 13th-century tower, the only surviving element of the borgofranco (a village exempt from tax duty) and of the castle that presumably extended around the tower itself. The Parish Church of San Lorenzo has a late-Romanesque plan with three aisles, and a richly decorated interior with 16th- and 17th-century frescoes. Nearby we find Castellazzo Novarese, an agricultural town surrounded by rice fields, which grew up in the Middle Ages around the Rocca dei Caccia, a massive fortification formed by a complex of buildings built between the 15th and 17th centuries which today is, unfortunately, in an advanced state of deterioration. Passing through stretches of rice fields, we continue on to Casaleggio, where at the entrance of the town you can see an old mill, no longer in use, but that still preserves its old millstones and iron wheels. The Parish Church of Sant’Ambrogio today presents Baroque forms but was certainly founded earlier; inside it conserves the painting of the Crucifix venerated by St. Charles Borromeo, attributed to Morazzone or his school. Further south we reach Mosezzo, a frazione of San Pietro, where there is the Romanesque Church of Santi Vito e Modesto, an ancient parish church. The Parish Church in San Pietro is from the 16th century.

It is worth stopping in the vicinity, at Gionzana, a frazione of Novara, to visit the splendid Oratory of the Madonna del Latte, which contains a cycle of 15th-century frescoes attributed to Tommaso Cagnola and Daniele De Bosis. Returning towards Novara, we then take the SP229 of Lake Orta; just outside the town of Vignale stands the rural complex of Cascina Isarno, of which there is already evidence in 840; within the complex you can admire the Church of Santi Cosma e Damiano. From here, our itinerary continues northwards to Caltignaga: along the provincial road remains are still visible of a Roman aqueduct that prob-

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The Rice Plain ably fed the thermal baths of Novara. This territory, which has revealed both Iron Age and Roman artefacts, was important for its location along the Via Settimia; in the centre of the town stands the old 15th-century castle, now a private property with a beautiful Italian garden.

Of particular interest are the Oratories of San Salvatore in the village’s cemetery, and the Oratory of Santi Nazario e Celso in the cemetery of Sologno, both Romanesque, with frescoes attributed to Giovanni De Campo and his workshop. Just outside of town, in the rice plain, by crossing the Terdoppio stream we reach Cavagliano, a frazione of Bellinzago where, in the cemetery, the Romanesque Church dedicated to the Beata Vergine Maria e San Vito merits a visit; the interior is richly decorated with a spectacular fresco covering the triumphal arch and the apse, dating back to the 15th/16th century and featuring a style very close to the school of Gaudenzio Ferrari.

The Castle, a rural building with traces of its ancient moat and, adjacent, the Church of San Quirico, stand in a dominant position on the site of a previous fortification. Not far from the village of Cavagliano is the Badia di Dulzago, a rural settlement built in the 12th century in the proximity of natural water springs. It was not, strictly speaking, just a religious place, as the monks and settlers who lived there soon reclaimed the surrounding area and made the farmland become very productive.

Structurally, the Abbey was organized as a residential complex, where there were the church, the abbot’s and canons’ accommodations, the farmers’

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The Rice Plain houses and the cemetery. Worthy of note is the Church dedicated to San Giulio, whose Romanesque features are visible in the three apses; inside there are interesting frescoes and stuccoes dating from the 15th to the 18th century. Behind the church there is a large courtyard where every year, at the end of January, the Feast of San Giulio is held, with the traditional “fagiolata” bean soup distributed to the crowd of faithful worshippers who always attend in large numbers.

Bellinzago Novarese is not far away. A town with ancient origins, it is one of

the nine municipalities in the Novara area included in the Antonellian Itinerary: here, in fact, the famous architect from Ghemme, Alessandro Antonelli, designed the Church of San Clemente, the Parish House and the Asilo Infantile De Medici nursery school according to the neoclassical canons typical of the time. Also in the centre, next to the town hall, stands the 17th-century Church of Sant’Anna with a sumptuous Baroque altar embellished with a painting by Bartolomeo Vandone, an artist from Oleggio. Built next to the church in 1635, the Oratory of the Gonfalone boasts a beautiful, richly frescoed dome. Leaving the village and heading south-east, we reach the Old Mill, already referred to in the 16th century, but modified during the 18th century. Still operative, since 1985 it has been used by the Ticino Nature Park as the Regional Centre for Environmental Education. The last stop on our itinerary through the rice plain

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The Rice Plain

is Cameri, located further south, along the Ticino river. Mentioned as early as the 9th century, the village grew up around a castle which has now completely disappeared; today the town extends around Piazza Dante Alighieri, with the Parish Church of San Michele, built in the Middle Ages but modified in the 16th and 19th centuries. Next to it stands the small Oratory of San Rocco, with frescoes by Angelo de Canta. To the west of the town is the Baroque Oratory of San Giuseppe, declared a national monument in 1905, which preserves precious frescoes by Lorenzo Peracino. Our visit continues eastwards: entering the Parco del Ticino we reach Villa Picchetta, the seat of the park itself. The U-shaped structure consists of a central body, once the owner’s residence, surmounted by an octagonal tiburium with a lantern, and side wings with service rooms.

Inside, the Sala dell’Ottagono displays interesting 19th-century frescoes with grotesques. The gardens surrounding the villa are of great scenic effect. Incorporated into the building there is an Oratory dedicated to Santa Margherita and the Immacolata.

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land”

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land” Amidst gently rolling morainic hills covered with vineyards of secular tradition, we come upon ancient villages of rare beauty, rich in history, tradition, art, nature, wines and gastronomic specialties that make this area a tourist destination of great interest.

Our itinerary winds along the “Strada del Vino” wine road and touches, among others, twenty-six municipalities with a vocation for wine production. We start from Briona, with its imposing Castle, whose structures date back partly to the 14th and partly to the 15th century, but certainly built on the site of a previous construction; the castle, modified over the centuries, now presents a quadrangular plan and encloses a square elevated courtyard. The building is dominated by an ancient tower with a mushroom-shaped dovecote. Inside, on the ground floor, is the weapons gallery, where objects and arms collected by Marquis Paolo Solaroli are kept. The history of the castle is linked to the brigand Giovan Battista Caccia, known as Il Caccetta, a violent anti-Spanish activist. Alessandro Manzoni apparently drew inspiration from this figure in tracing the salient features of his Don Rodrigo. A series of country oratories dot the Briona countryside: inside the cemetery, the Romanesque Church of Sant’Alessandro, composed of three aisles with a higher central body, contains frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries attributed to De Campo and De Bosis. During consolidation works, tombs dating back to the Early Christian period were found there. The Oratory of San Bernardo, also known as the Oratory of the Mora, rises near the homonymous Roggia Mora canal; inside, the barrel vault is completely frescoed with images of the twelve Prophets, the altar, with the Madonna del Latte, and the walls, with Saints. The Church of Sant’Antonio all’Orcetto, located in the village of San Bernardino, has a single nave, and walls and apse richly decorated by the workshop of Cagnola. The Romanesque Oratory of Santa Maria near the Cascina Cella, in the village of 26

The Hills of the “Gentle Land” Proh, preserves its original structure in the brick and pebble apse. Inside you can see the precious cycle of 15th-century frescoes by the school of Novara. Also found in the town of Proh is the 15th-century Rocchetta, featuring a quadrangular plan with two circular towers and covered crenellated walkways with machicolations. It never had a defensive function, but served as a hunting and leisure residence, and is still a private property. Not far from there, across the Roggia Mora canal, you can admire the medieval donkey-backed bridge, famous as a place where taxes were collected. Continuing northwards, not far away we reach Fara Novarese, a centre of viticulture certainly of Lombard origin. On its hills is the Castello Superiore, transformed into a country residence in the 18th century; today it houses a hospital. Not far away stands a second castle, called Castellone; already existing at the time of Frederick Barbarossa, today it is a private residence. In the square, the 16th-century Parish Church dedicated to Santi Fabiano e Sebastiano, which was enlarged during the 17th century. The scurolo consecrated to Saint Damian was designed by Luigi Orelli and built towards the end of the 18th century. The Church of San Pietro e Paolo, formerly a parish church when the village extended along the hill, is located inside the cemetery. Of Romanesque origin, it is embellished by interesting frescoes representing the cycle of the months, with depictions related to the local farming activities of the time, particularly viticulture, in addition to representations of Christ Pantocrator, the Apostles and the Evangelists. The village is famous for the production of the homonymous DOC wine. To the north, the road to Valsesia leads to Sizzano, an ancient town; in the Middle Ages it shared the vicissitudes related to the Marquis of Monferrato, at war with the Viscontis. At the entrance of the village there is the small Oratory of San Rocco (1630), once an annex of Palazzo Caccia Trivulzio di Rovasenda, a manor house dating back to the 17th century with a vast garden. The Parish Church of San Vittore (17th century) is found in Piazza Prone. A campaign of archaeological excavations has brought to light, under the pavement, the remains of a 2nd-century public building, perhaps a thermal bath, on which the first Early Christian church with three aisles was built. Inside is preserved the Epigraph of Aucusta (AD 519), an important testimony of the spread of Christianity in the area. Surrounding the church is the ring-shaped Castello-Ricetto, with two-sto-

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land” rey houses and masonry in river pebbles and brick. Along the Roggia Mora is the Church of San Grato, a deconsecrated building that still preserves 15th-century frescoes depicting a Blessing Christ and a beautiful Nativity scene.

Sizzano is included among the Città del Vino, or Wine Cities, for the production of the Novara Hills wines and the homonymous DOC wine. A short distance away is Ghemme, the site of human settlements in the Neolithic period, as testified by archaeological finds dating back to the 4th millennium BC; its strategic position along the banks of the Sesia river made it, in the past, the scene of disputes between opposing factions: in the 13th century, between the Guelphs and Ghibellines; in the 14th century, between the Marquis of Monferrato and the Viscontis; in the 15th century, between the Sforza and the Savoys, culminating with the famous signing of the historic Peace Treaty of 1467. Today the name of Ghemme is mainly linked to viticulture: on its morainic hills, in fact, the vines that will become Ghemme DOCG are cultivated. In the centre of the village stands the Castello-Ricetto, a 12,000-square-metre fortification surrounded by a defensive wall with Ghibelline battlements and a moat, now filled in, where men and animals found refuge, and which served for storing food and other provisions. From the central cobblestoned street, secondary streets and alleyways depart; the houses, made of stones arranged in herringbone patterns and courses of brick, are composed of a cellar, a first floor used as a dwelling and an attic that served as a storeroom. Some of the windows preserve beautiful, finely-worked terracotta frames, such as those in the Cortile della Barciocca or along the main street. Overlooking Piazza Castello is the Church of San Rocco, built as a votive offering by the community, hard hit by the plague in the 17th century. Not far from there is the small Oratory of San Fabiano, built on the edge of the ancient property of the Abbots of Cluny; inside there is a large 15th-century fresco by the school of Bartolonus. In Piazza Antonelli we come to the Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta completed in 1666. The interior has a single nave with important Baroque artworks, such as the high altar in polychrome marble designed by Benedetto Alfieri. On the left side of the transept is the Scurolo of the Beata Panacea by Alessandro Antonelli, a native of Ghemme, realized between 1864 and 1875. The circular-plan scurolo is illuminated by polychrome stained-glass windows depicting episodes from the life of the Bea28

The Hills of the “Gentle Land” ta, a young shepherdess killed in the mountains of Quarona by her stepmother, and whose remains were brought to Ghemme. Patron saint of the Valsesia, the Beata is a constant object of veneration; the processions which wind through the streets of the village on her feast day, the first Friday in May, are particularly picturesque. On a hill surrounded by vineyards overlooking the town stands the 16th-century Castello di Cavenago, transformed over the centuries into a country residence, and nowadays a holiday farm. Within it there is a small Oratory dedicated to Santa Rosa da Lima. Ghemme is crossed lengthwise by the Roggia Mora with its spectacular sluice gates. Continuing north, we reach Romagnano Sesia, a town with ancient origins, as evidenced by various archaeological finds dating back to the Roman Imperial period.

Around the year 1000, the Benedictine Abbey of San Silvano was founded; it was then a fief of the Marquises of Romagnano along with Prato and Cavallirio and, later, of various other noble families. Romagnano also links part of its economy to wine production, being part of the Associazione Città del Vino (Association of Wine Cities). Near the Roggia Mora stands the small Oratory of San Martino di Breclema, documented since the 11th century but built on a previous building from the Carolingian period. In the centre we find the Parish Church of SS. Annunziata and Abbey of S. Silvano: today’s 19th-century structure was built after the destruction of the previous Baroque church, built on the earlier 11th-century abbey. The interior is tripartite and preserves a 5th-century marble sarcophagus that once contained the remains of the patron saint and now serves as an altar; a votive cippus (a small pillar) from the 2nd/3rd century decorated with bas-relief male figures is now used as a pulpit. The sacristy holds an Ecce Homo

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land”

by Bernardino Lanino and a Pentecost attributed to Lanino. All that remains of the abbey complex are the bell tower and the so-called Cantina dei Santi, a two-room building, with a double portico, that houses a cycle of 15th-century frescoes depicting the life of King David. Its function has not yet been clarified, nor is the author of the paintings known, although an attribution has been advanced with respect to Bartulonus da Novara. Also worthy of a visit is the Church of the Madonna del Popolo, seen today in its 17th-century forms, where you can admire works by Tarquinio Grassi, a native of Romagnano, and by Giorgio De Bernardis, an artist from Ossola. Situated on a small hill called Monte Cucco, Villa Caccia was the holiday residence of the Counts Caccia di Romentino. It was built between 1842 and 1848 from plans by Alessandro Antonelli. The monumental complex, with a vast park of sequoias and other century-old trees, now houses the Museo Storico Etnografico della Bassa Valsesia, an ethnographic museum which displays numerous objects, all testimonies of the material culture and of the agricultural activities that took place in the local countryside, with particular attention to viticulture; one section is also dedicated to the tradition of Good Friday: from 1729 on, in alternate years, the Congregazione del Santo Enterro (Confraternity of the Holy Burial) brings the Passion of Jesus Christ to life during Easter week; the village of Romagnano thus becomes an open-air theatre, and the inhabitants the actors who perform the episodes of the life of Christ, in an event of popular religiosity that attracts thousands of spectators.

Leaving the village, you can see what remains of a medieval bridge, testimony of a large structure that connected the two banks of the Sesia in the 12th century. Passing close by the historic industrial plants built along the Roggia Mora we reach Prato Sesia, a village with ancient origins, particularly remembered for being the birthplace of the heretic Fra’ Dolcino.

The Parish Church, dedicated to San Bernardo da Mentone, has medieval origins, 30

The Hills of the “Gentle Land” but was rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries and now presents an early-20th-century façade based on designs by Ercole Marietti. It conserves a Madonna of the Rosary by Giacinto Gimignani in the same-name chapel and frescoes by Tarquinio Grassi with scenes from the life of Christ.

In Via De Amicis there is the Church of the Madonna della Quercia, which also houses works by Gimignani. In an elevated position, the ruins of the Castle of Sopramonte, built in the 12th century, are visible; within the complex, the Church of the Natività della Vergine is seen today in its 17th-century forms, with frescoes attributable to the workshop of Giovanni de Campo. The castle was built using river pebbles arranged in a herringbone pattern and bound with mortar. From here you can enjoy a splendid view of the village and the area of the Sesia Supervulcano, one of the few cases in the world of a fossil supervulcano, recognized by UNESCO as a Geopark.

Continuing along the provincial road we reach Grignasco, documented since the 10th century, although some findings confirm the existence of settlements here since the 1st century AD. In the central Piazza Viotti we find the scenographic Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, a Baroque work by Bernardo Vittone built on an elliptical plan, which contains works by Giuseppe Mazzola and Gandolfino da Roreto. Climbing the stairway behind the apse, marked by the stations of an 18th-century Via Crucis, we reach the Oratory of San Graziano, surrounded by vineyards and dominating the town. Near the Town Hall, instead, stands the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which preserves a cycle of 15th-century frescoes by the workshop of Tommaso Cagnola and Angelo de Canta. In the cemetery, the Church of Santa Maria in Bovagliano, of Romanesque origin but seen today in its 18th-century forms, merits a visit. Inside you can admire a canvas by Francesco Gianoli and two 16th-century panel paintings by the school of Gaudenzio Ferrari.

Part of the territory of Grignasco is included in the Natural Park of Monte Fenera, which takes in the territories of Lower Valsesia, an area of important archaeological discoveries: inside the caves of the Park, in Ara, a frazione of Grignasco, (home to an educational centre), evidence has been found of the presence of humans and animals in prehistoric times.

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land” Returning towards Prato Sesia, we take the SP31 and arrive in Cavallirio, a village within the Monte Fenera Park and the Baragge Nature Reserve. Dedicated to San Gaudenzio, its Parish Church underwent various renovations to reach its current 17th-century forms but was again remodelled in the 19th century. In the countryside, we find the secluded Oratory of San Germano, first mentioned in the 11th century and rebuilt in later centuries. In a hilly area, amidst vineyards, stand the Tre Madonnine, votive shrines built around the mid-19th century with decorations by an unknown artist. Boca, listed as one of the Wine Cities, links its name to the homonymous DOC, a full-bodied wine having Nebbiolo as its base. In the village, the Renaissance Parish Church of San Gaudenzio, standing on a rise, is reached by a wide stairway. Isolated from the town, and surrounded by vineyards, the Sanctuary of the Santissimo Crocifisso, designed by Alessandro Antonelli, appears in all its splendour. The 1830 project had a long period of realization and was subject to various modifications in the course of construction; as a result, it was only later completed by Antonelli’s son Costanzo, towards the end of the 19th century. Since the 17th century, this has been a place of worship and devotion where there was once a small chapel dedicated to the Anime Purganti (Souls in Purgatory); in a short time the increasing flow of pilgrims made it necessary to renovate the chapel to offer them a better reception. But it was with the arrival of Antonelli that the building definitively acquired its grandiose forms, not without continuous technical and economic difficulties which considerably increased the construction time. The Sanctuary has an entrance stairway and a large portico of exquisite neoclassical taste; the interior opens with a large barrel vault having a span of 17 metres, above a single order of columns. The architectural complex, although modified with respect to Antonelli’s original project, maintains a character of great elegance and grandeur. Even today it is the destination of frequent pilgrimages. Crossing the vineyards, we reach Montal32

The Hills of the “Gentle Land” bano, where part of the old 15th-century castle of the Brusati Cavallazzi family remains. Along the exterior walls, a cycle of frescoes depicts scenes from chivalrous life. A short distance away is the Wine City Maggiora, a village with a strong Antonellian imprint, with the house where he was born, the cemetery, the Scurolo of Sant’Agapito and the town plan designed by the architect from Ghermma. Palazzo Antonelli is a four-storey building with a well-planted garden and an austere brick façade, formerly the architect’s family residence, on which he intervened with numerous and continuous works of restoration. Not far away is the Parish Church of the Spirito Santo, a Baroque construction whose interior is richly decorated with stuccoes, gilding and bas-reliefs. It preserves splendid paintings by Tarquinio Grassi, Pier Francesco Gianoli and Lorenzo Peracino. The Scurolo of Sant’Agapito was completed by Antonelli, who is also attributed with the remodelling of the Baptistery. Not to miss, the Pragiarolo Autodrome, that still today hosts important events dedicated to autocross, and the Maggiora Park located on the legendary hill of Mottaccio del Balmone, the site of international motocross races. Our itinerary continues towards Borgomanero, an active, lively town built in the early Middle Ages in a strategic position along the banks of the Agogna stream and important communication routes between the plain, the Cusio area and the Sempione. In the 12th century, the borgofranco was founded on the initiative of the Podestà Giacomo Mainerio, from whom it presumably takes its name, which replaced that of Borgo San Leonardo.

The Friday market goes back to this period, being documented since 1220, and is still held in the square and the four main streets of the historic centre. Here stands

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land” the Collegiate Church of San Bartolomeo, seen today in its Baroque and neoclassical forms, with its unmistakable façade covered with terracotta decorations; inside it holds precious paintings by Morazzone depicting Saint Rocco and Saint Charles Borromeo. In the square in front of the church stands the 18th-century Statue of the Immacolata. Not far away, the Oratory of San Leonardo, first attested to in the 12th century although founded earlier, has a single nave and a semicircular apse; the masonry is composed of large squared stones and river pebbles arranged in a herringbone pattern and bound with white mortar.

Of great interest are the coeval frescoes attributed to the Maestro di Borgomanero.

Following the avenue that leads to the station we reach Villa Marazza, home to the Foundation of the same name, as well as the Public Library, which conserves a large collection of books, prints, incunabula and parchments. The villa’s vast park, full of century-old trees, is used as a venue for events and manifestations. In Vergano, in a panoramic position, stands the Castle, with an elegant, square-plan 15th-century tower and traces of a drawbridge; the large round-arch window surmounted by a noble coat of arms is of interest. In the village of Santa Cristina, the Museo Etnografico della Civiltà Agricola Locale La Manera, an ethnographic museum housed in the 17th-century Palazzo Bono, merits a visit. Just outside the town, on the road leading to Arona, stands the Church of San Nicola di Baraggiola; dated to the end of the 10th century, it still preserves the bell tower, symbol of the Middle Ages in Borgomanero, about twenty metres high, with single lancet windows, slits and mullioned windows, at the top of which there was certainly an observation post. Returning to the south, we soon reach Cureggio, a village of Roman origin in whose territory important archaeological finds have been discovered. In the centre of town, the Romanesque Baptistery of San Giovanni has an octagonal plan with apses; it was built in the 12th century with blocks of serizzo stone, pebbles and bricks and covered with black beola stone shingles. The Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta preserves traces of the 12th-century Romanesque structure in walls 34

The Hills of the “Gentle Land” featuring courses of pebbles in herringbone patterns, and in the bell tower with panels marked by hanging arches. Today it is visible in its 16th-century forms, abundantly modified and enlarged with the addition of a pronaos on the façade; inside you can admire its 15th-century frescoes. At the Casa della Torre there is the TAM Multimedia Space, a documentation and educational centre dedicated to the history of the territory of Novara between Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, whose spaces present models, 3D architectural reconstructions and videos of the territory.

Not far away we come to Fontaneto d’Agogna, an agricultural centre located between the Agogna and Sizzone streams, founded in ancient times and documented since the 10th century. The castle was destroyed and rebuilt several times, the last in the 15th century. Traces of it remain in some of the houses in the historic centre. To the south of the town is the Parish Church of the Beata Vergine Assunta, built in the 15th century and then enlarged in the 17th and 19th centuries, when the Scurolo of Sant’Alessandro designed by Alessandro Antonelli was also built on a circular plan with a hemispherical dome. Inside the church you can admire a precious canvas depicting Christ in Glory adored by all the Saints by Tanzio da Varallo and, above the choir, an Assumption of the Virgin attributed to Sperindio Cagnola. Not-to-miss are the many churches and oratories in various parts of the town; among these, well worth mentioning is the Romanesque Oratory of Santi Fabiano e Sebastiano in Piazza Castello. There are many springs in the surrounding area, whose abundance of water explains the name of the town.

Together with Cureggio Fontaneto d’Agogna, this is the production centre of the Blonde Onion Slow Food Presidium, an onion, golden blonde in colour and with a typical horizontal flattening, which can reach a weight of 400 grammes. Its fundamental characteristic is its extreme sweetness, which is maintained even for many months after harvesting.

Further south, on the banks of the Agogna, we find Cavaglio, a viticultural centre, with its Parish Church dedicated to San Mamante built in the centre of the town in the first half of the 18th century on the ruins

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land” of an ancient 14th-century building. Inside, a precious canvas by Peracino depicting the Martyrdom of St. Mamante is preserved. Also in the centre is the Oratory of San Rocco, erected in 1631 by the local community as a sign of their gratitude for having been spared from the plague.

Our route takes us to nearby Cavaglietto, where the ruins of the Church of San Pietro are visible in the locality of Cascina Monastero; referred to since 1093, it was originally a female monastic cell connected with the Cluniac foundation of Castelletto Cervo, enlarged later in the 16th century. The gabled façade is partly hidden by other buildings. In the centre we find the Parish Church of San Vittore Martire dating back to the end of the 16th century but later modified. In the council chamber of the town hall, there is a Roman altar in serizzo stone with a Latin inscription. Continuing along the SP21 we reach Barengo, a village dominated by its 15th-century Castle, today a private home, featuring an irregular quadrilateral plan with corner towers and a loggia, extensively rebuilt in the 20th century. Nearby is the Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta; along the road leading to the cemetery we find the Oratory of San Rocco, with frescoes attributed to the workshop of Cagnola. In the cemetery we find the Church of Santa Maria di Campagna, which until 1358 was the parish church; inside we can see fine paintings by Giovanni da Rumo, an artist from Oleggio. We would point out that 15th-century frescoes were detached from the remains of the Oratory of San Clemente in 1930, and then relocated in the great hall of the Arengo in the Broletto of Novara because they were considered of great historical and artistic value. A small detour leads us to Momo, whose territory has revealed important archaeological finds. Also part of the ancient castrum was the Church of Santa Maria, today replaced by the current Parish Church dedicated to the Natività di Maria which has been enlarged and restructured over the centuries. Not far from the centre of the village, along the state road that leads to Borgomanero, stands the splendid Oratory of 36

The Hills of the “Gentle Land” the Santissima Trinità, whose foundation presumably dates to the second half of the 11th century. It is a chapel with the function of a shelter for pilgrims in transit on the Via Francisca, built on a site that was already considered sacred in Celtic times, and where a Necropolis has been found. The church was remodelled in the 12th/13th century and modified again in the 14th century. With a single nave and a raised presbytery, the interior was richly frescoed by Sperindio and Francesco Cagnola with a true path of faith in over 200 images, depicting scenes from the Life and Passion of Christ, a Last Judgement, the Trinity, Christ in a Mandorla, the Apostles and the Seven Works of Mercy. In the village of Linduno you can admire the small rural Oratory of Santa Maria, a single nave and a semicircular apse, with splendid frescoes by Luca De Campo dated 1468. A short distance away is Vaprio d’Agogna; in the centre stands the 13th-century fortified Casaforte, destroyed in 1358 during the conflicts between the Marquis of Monferrato and Galeazzo Visconti. Today it appears as a three-storey building with a rectangular floor plan, featuring cobblestone masonry in the lower part and bricks in the upper part. The Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, built in the 17th century, has undergone various renovations over time; of note is the Oratory of San Rocco, used in the 19th century as a lazaret during a cholera epidemic. Inside the cemetery, the Church of San Lorenzo stands in the area where a Roman inscription, now preserved at the Lapidarium of Novara, was found. The construction, which probably dates to the 12th century, was enlarged between the 17th and 18th centuries.

We proceed to Suno, an important settlement both in Roman times and in the Middle Ages; today it is counted among the wine production centres of the Novara Hills and the Wine Cities. The Parish Church of the Santissima Trinità was built in the 18th century; preceded by a large pronaos, it is surmounted by statues depicting St. Gaudentius, St. Lawrence, St. Genesius of Arles and St. Genesius the Mime. To

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land” its left there is the scurolo with the remains of the patron saint. The Parish Church of San Genesio, located outside the town on the ancient Via Francisca and mentioned as early as the 11th century, has been extensively remodelled over time; inside there are, in addition to an altar, a precious, recently restored fresco and the ancient tomb of the Della Porta family. In the upper part of the town, we find the Castello Della Porta, whose current appearance is due to a 19th-century renovation; today part of the building houses a residence for the elderly. Its well-planted park hosting century-old trees is interesting. In the locality of MötZiflon, stands the Astronomical Observatory, operational since 1968, where research and observations of the orbital movements of asteroids are carried out. In Suno and in the nearby Mezzomerico area, the early Isabella Grape, which has been granted De.C.O. recognition, is produced. Not far away is Cressa, also a Roman settlement in the past. The Oratory of San Giulio outside the town dates to the 11th century, although it underwent substantial modifications during the 15th century. It was once the parish church, but soon came to be considered inadequate for the growing needs of the village and was thus downgraded to an oratory. The Parish Church dedicated to Santi Giulio e Amatore was built in the 17th century and holds interesting paintings. Near the station there is the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land” Grazie, dating back to 1686; a fresco from the second half of the 16th century, recuperated from the previous church, has been transferred inside. Not far away, set against the morainic hills, we find Bogogno, listed among the Wine Cities, where there is one of the most famous golf resorts in the world: designed by Robert von Hagge, it extends over 200 hectares with two 18-hole courses, amidst green hills and wooded countryside. On the border with Agrate Conturbia stands the Romanesque Oratory of Santa Maria in Valle, consisting of a single nave with a semicircular apse and a gabled façade. It has interesting frescoes decorating the interior, painted by artists from Novara in the 15th and 16th centuries. A votive cippus dedicated to Diana was found near the church at the end of the 19th century and is today preserved in the Lapidarium of Novara. Along the road that leads to Veruno is the Oratory of San Giacomo, with important, unique 15th-century frescoes, attributed to the Maestro di Borgomanero and Giovanni de Campo, depicting the miracles of St. James and the miracle of St. Eligius. At the top of the hill stands Villa Bono, a square, three-storey building, perhaps built on the ruins of an ancient fortress, with a lovely Italian garden; today it is a private residence. Nearby is the Parish Church of Sant’Agnese, which preserves frescoes by an artist from Bogogno, Giuseppe Guglielmetti. A little further north we come to Veruno, the site of Lombard and Frankish settlements; in the centre of town there are the 17th-century Parish Church of Sant’Ilario di Poitiers, remodelled during the 20th century, and the Church of Santa Maria Assunta dating back to the 13th/14th century, which preserves fine frescoes depicting Saints. Outside the town stands the austere Villa Elisa, formerly Villa Bagliotti, which dates to the 16th century and is surrounded by a spacious garden.

Further north we reach Gattico. The Parish Church of Santi Cosma e Damiano, whose original construction dates to the 15th century, stands on a hill; inside, the wooden decorations of the baptistery, the confessionals and the entrance portal are of great artistic value. It was subjected to extensions and modifications between the 16th and 18th centuries. The evocative ruins of the Romanesque Church of San Martino are found to the north of the town; the uncovered masonry in well-squared blocks of serizzo stone gives the building a very special charm. Returning to the

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land” south we arrive in Agrate, a settlement with ancient origins, preserving important medieval testimonies; it is a place well known to golf lovers for the presence of a 27-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., set amidst century-old trees, streams, lakes and slight slopes, against a background of the Monte Rosa Massif.

The Parish Church of San Vittore was built in the Romanesque period but remodelled several times over the centuries; opposite it stands the Romanesque Baptistery of San Giovanni, of great artistic value; the structure is divided into two parts: a lower part with an irregular circular shape (10th century) and an upper part with an octagonal shape (11th/12th century); elegant hanging arches and slender stone columns adorn the exterior. In the town of Conturbia, the Parish Church, built before the year 1000, is dedicated to San Giorgio, and still possesses its original gabled façade and a 17th-century pronaos. The Parco Faunistico La Torbiera biopark was established as a centre for the reproduction and study of endangered animal species. Particular attention is given to Italian and European fauna and to the rarest specimens of felines in the world today. The remains of a pile dwelling have also been found in this area. A short distance away we find Divignano, a small town rising on a low hill surrounded by woods and meadows; here stands the 15th-century Castle, now private property, already mentioned in the 12th century, but extremely altered over time. Inside there are fine coffered ceilings and paintings with geometric and floral motifs.

The Parish Church dedicated to Santi Stefano e Rocco was built at the beginning of the 20th century. Moving towards the Ticino river we arrive in Varallo Pombia, whose history is linked to Pombia. The Parish Church of Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio conserves the façade of the Romanesque construction built in the 11th century with blocks of serizzo stone and terracotta hanging arches, as well as the bell tower; the interior was modified in the 17th and 18th centuries and preserves a painting by Nuvolone. Villa Soranzo consists of two perpendicularly positioned buildings; the largest one faces 40

The Hills of the “Gentle Land”

the main courtyard and preserves frescoes with the coats of arms of the Caccia and Pignatelli families as well as a sundial. Today it houses the Town Hall, a small Archaeological Museum containing Golasecchian and Roman artefacts and a Picture Gallery. Along the road that leads to the old riverport we come to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Rosario, for centuries a place of Marian devotion. Our itinerary now leads us to Pombia: the town lies along the edge of a river terrace in an area where the Golasecca Culture was present in prehistoric times. Due to its proximity to a ford of the Ticino river, it was of great importance during the Roman era; later, in the Middle Ages, it was the county seat of the March of Ivrea. Later it belonged to the Counts of Pombia and Biandrate, and even later, Novara. It finally followed the fate of the Duchy of Milan. The Parish Church of San Vincenzo is situated in the locality of Castello, not far from the Castrum Domini, and listed as a national monument. The building, which externally has preserved its Romanesque forms, has a nave, two side aisles and an apse; the simple gabled façade has a two-storey narthex; in the

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land” upper room there is an atonement chapel with interesting medieval frescoes depicting symbols of the Underworld: a cock, a peacock and a three-headed dog. The interior houses fragments of a Romanesque Last Judgement and a Madonna del Latte, distinctly Gothic in taste. Near the church are the ruins of the Castrum Domini, an ancient fortification dating back to the 10th century. A short distance away we find the privately owned Romanesque Oratory of San Martino, which was constructed with recycled materials: in fact, a few letters and three wine mugs dating back to the 2nd century AD are visible on a column. Traces of frescoes can be seen in the apse basin and on the walls. Not far away, the Nymphaeum, another private property, is an octagonal building covered by a domed vault, dating back to the late Roman period.

Continuing southwards we reach Marano Ticino, whose horizon is dominated by the neo-Gothic bell tower, 52 metres in height, of the Parish Church of San Giovanni; the interior of the church is enriched by five elegant marble altars. In an elevated, panoramic position stands Villa Castiglioni Ostini, an 18th-century reconstruction of the former 13th-century castle of the Barbavara family, of which a crenellated entrance tower with a round arch and a postern remains. A few kilometres away, amidst gently rolling hills, is Mezzomerico, a town with a predominantly agricultural economy based on viticulture included among the Wine Cities.

The Parish Church of Santi Giacomo e Filippo, built in 1847 on the ruins of an earlier church, stands on a rise in the centre of town. The interior has a single nave with a barrel vault and five altars. The Oratory of Santa Maria Maddalena was erected in the 16th century on an ancient chapel mentioned in 1347. Not far away, Palazzo Visconti, which dates back to the 15th century, is a private, three-storey building in a linear style; the family’s marble coat of arms and the loggia tower with Ghibelline battlements appear on the façade above the main door. Our tour through the villages in the Hills of the “Dolceterra” ends in Oleggio, one of the most industrious and active towns in the Novara area; already men42

The Hills of the “Gentle Land”

tioned in the 10th century, it was a parish church of the diocese of Novara and later belonged to the Visconti, who entrusted it to the Barbavaras. The market that takes place every Monday along the streets of the town centre is an ancient tradition, referred to in 15th-century documents, and remembered as a cattle market frequented by traders from Switzerland, Lombardy and Piedmont.

The heart of the town is Piazza Martiri della Libertà, triangular in shape and entirely porticoed; here stands the monumental Romanesque Torre del Bagliotti surmounted by a Baroque addition. Overlooking the square, Palazzo Bellini, a neoclassical building with rooms preserving stuccoes and paintings of great artistic value, now hosts important exhibitions. Not far away stands the Parish Church of Santi Pietro e Paolo, whose reconstruction was realized by Alessandro Antonelli between 1853 and 1858. The façade is preceded by a high pronaos with massive columns, while the interior with nave and two side aisles preserves precious Baroque artworks by Nuvolone, Lanino and Morazzone, master artists from Novara. The church complex includes the Museo d’Arte Religiosa p.A. Mozzetti which displays religious objects from the area. In front of the parish church, but with an entrance on Via Pozzolo, we come to the 17th-century Church of Santa Maria Annunciata which conserves a beautiful painting by Nuvolone. Not far away, in Vicolo Chiesa we find the Museo Civico Etnografico Archeologico C.G. Fanchini, holding one of the most important collections of the province and located in a 17th-century Franciscan convent. Here there are over one hundred thousand pieces illustrating the life and traditional activities of the territory. An archaeological section exhibits Golasecchian artefacts from the Necropolis of Pombia (6th/5th century BC) and grave goods from the Necropolis of Oleggio (2nd century BC). Inside the cemetery, on the road that leads to Mezzomerico, stands the splendid Basilica of San Michele, mentioned

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The Hills of the “Gentle Land”

as early as AD 973 and later referred to as a parish church; in the 16th century it was abandoned for the new church dedicated to Saint Peter located in the ancient castro (pre-Roman fort city). The current brick and river pebble structure has a nave with two side aisles, and three apses. The simple façade is marked by hanging arches and pilasters. The interior, covered by a roof with wooden trusses, preserves medieval frescoes in the apse basin depicting the Christ in Majesty with figures of deacons and knights. On the counterfaçade there is a medieval-style Last Judgement; in the nave, the Resurrection of Christ painted by the artist Francesco Cagnola and the Archangel Saint Michael by Giovanni de Rumo. Also noteworthy is an underground crypt with three aisles covered by cross vaults. A series of rural oratories dot the countryside around Oleggio: the Oratory of Santa Maria in Galnago, located along the road leading to Arona, with a single nave and a semicircular apse, has been restored over the centuries and contains precious frescoes dating to the 15th and 16th centuries; the Oratory of San Donato, located near the Regina Elena Canal has interesting decorations on the façade depicting plague camps and the Madonna in Trono fra Santi e Anime Purganti; the Romanesque Oratory of the Gaggiolo with fine frescoes ranging from the 12th to the 16th century. Every year, at Easter, the famous Corsa della Torta (Cake Race) takes place, a dispute between the bachelors of the village for the awarding of the Palio delle Contrade prize. Another great tradition in Oleggio is the Carnival, with the Pirin and Majn masks.

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His Majesty Lake Maggiore Located in the north of the province, the famous Lake Maggiore has been a destination of international importance since the time of the Grand Tour and, even before then, had become the privileged domain of the aristocratic Borromeo family. Its presence has therefore strongly characterized the history, culture, art and nature of the upper Novara area. From the shores of the lake you can climb up to the gentle hills of the Vergante area, where this wide strip of land offers views of extraordinary beauty.

Castelletto Sopra Ticino, already mentioned in the 12th century, certainly has older origins placing it in the Bronze Age, as evidenced by the discovery of the Necropolis of Glisente (13th century BC) and the recovery of prehistoric settlements going back to the Golasecca Culture. Also inhabited in Roman times, in the Middle Ages Castelletto grew up around the Visconti Castle. Quadrilateral in shape with corner towers and a well-planted English garden, it stands on a small hill sloping down towards the Ticino river. The present Parish Church dedicated to Sant’Antonio Abate was built in the 18th century on the site of a pre-existing 15th-century building.

Inside it conserves an altar dedicated to the Beata Vergine del Rosario from the Church of Santa Maria della Scala in Milan, demolished in 1776 to make way for the theatre of the same name. Archaeological finds can be seen in the municipal park, while at the former school in Via Beati there is the Centro di Documentazione della Cultura di Golasecca (Centre for Documentation on the Golasecca Culture). The Church of Santa Maria d’Egro, which conserves inscriptions and engravings showing glimpses of local history, is located inside the cemetery.

Situated in the southern part of Lake Maggiore, Dormelletto rises on the site of very ancient settlements: in fact, the Necropolis of a Gallic village (3rd-1st century BC) has been found, with near46

His Majesty Lake Maggiore ly fifty tombs containing bronze, iron and ceramic ornaments now preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Arona. In 1993, the Canneti di Dormelletto Nature Reserve was founded to protect an area rich in spontaneous vegetation stretching for about 3.5 km along the lake, a natural habitat ideal for the nesting and wintering of numerous species of birds. The Parish Church of the Assunta stands on a hill overlooking the town. Known to exist in Romanesque times, over the centuries it underwent several modifications, retaining its ancient forms only in the bell tower. Worthy of mention is Villa Tesio with its large park, home to one of the most important stables in Italy, where the famous thoroughbred racehorse Ribot was born. Continuing to the north, after a few minutes we arrive in Arona, an important lakeside resort. It was here that the Borromeos possessed their feud from the 15th to the 18th century: in various parts of the town you can admire monuments and works of art resulting from their patronage. In a panoramic position overlooking the lake stands the Statue of San Carlo Borromeo (the “Sancarlone”), one of the tallest statues in the world with its 23.5 metres, in addition to the 11.5 metres of its pedestal. The work of sculptors Bernardo Falconi and Siro Zanelli, based on models by Giovanni Battista Crespi (Il Cerano), it was completed in 1698. It is possible to climb to the top of the statue by way of an internal staircase, to enjoy an incomparable view of the lake through the eye openings. Along the road that leads to the Sancarlone you can see three chapels that, according to the original project, should have constituted, together with others, a true Sacred Mountain dedicated to the figure of the Saint, born in Arona in 1538. The construction of the complex was never completed, while next to the remarkable statue is the Church of San Carlo. The Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Nascente (15th-17th century) inside the medieval nucleus of the town was completed by Cardi-

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His Majesty Lake Maggiore nal Federico Borromeo. The interior with a nave and two side aisles houses the precious Polyptych of the Nativity by Gaudenzio Ferrari (1511), while the side chapels contain six paintings by Morazzone dedicated to the life of the Virgin. There are also two late-15th-century frescoes realised by artists from Novara. The Church of the Santi Martiri was rebuilt in the 15th century on the site of a previous building and later modified; inside it holds the remains of the Martyrs Graziano, Felino, Fedele and Carpoforo. In the historic centre there is also the Civic Archaeological Museum, which exhibits materials from various periods ranging from the Bronze Age to the Renaissance: finds from the Lagoni di Mercurago, Golasecchian ceramics from Castelletto Ticino, grave goods from Dormelletto and Roman artefacts from the Necropolises of Arona. The Rocca Borromea boasts a magnificent public park with panoramic views of Arona and the southern part of the lake, as well as the ruins of the fortification where St. Charles Borromeo was born, probably built on the site of a previous structure, as evidenced by the traces of Bronze Age walls. The castle was destroyed by Napoleon Bonaparte. On Piazza del Popolo, overlooking the lake, are the Broletto (15th century) and the Church of Santa Maria di Loreto designed

by Pellegrino Tibaldi. To the south-west of Arona, and covering approximately 470 hectares, is the Lagoni di Mercurago Nature Park, an area characterized by mixed woodland, meadow-pastures, ponds and peat bogs where finds have been discovered that can be traced back to the oldest pile-dwelling site in Piemonte, built near the lakes between the 18th and 13th centuries BC. The state road that runs along the lake then leads us to Meina, first mentioned in the 10th century. During the 19th century, a series of stately villas were built here, including Villa Faraggiana (1855), built by the family of the same name in neoclassical style. This elegant building

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His Majesty Lake Maggiore stands out for its grandeur and is surrounded by a park of approximately 70 hectares planted with monumental trees. Today it houses the Museo Meina, a museum that hosts exhibitions, installations and multimedia activities for children as well as outdoor shows. Villa La Favorita with its beautiful English garden and Villa Castagnara De Savoiroux are other examples of luxurious historic houses in the Meina area. In the centre stands the Parish Church of Santa Margherita, built on a previous Romanesque church and consecrated in 1785, whose interior is embellished by golden stuccoes. In the presbytery you can admire several frescoes attributed to Peretti and one by Peracino. In the village of Ghevio, the Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, built in a panoramic position, was already referred to in 1132 as a church under the parish church of Gozzano; only the bell tower remains from that period, as over the centuries the structure has been extensively altered. Nestled in a small inlet of the lake, Lesa is a pleasant tourist resort which has been known since 998. It passed under the jurisdiction of the Archbishops of Milan, then of the Visconti and, finally, of the Borromeos, who governed it until the 19th century. On the lakefront, in a raised position, is the Parish Church of San Martino, documented as early as the 13th century, the same period of the bell tower, a stone head decorating a pew and a small architectural fragment surmounting the stoup; its present appearance is the result of subsequent alterations; inside there are two canvases by Procaccini. Between the 18th and the first half of the 20th century, sumptuous holiday residences were built in Lesa, all surrounded by parks and gardens full of exotic, monumental plants; among the most famous are Palazzo Stampa (18th century), now restructured, which hosted Alessandro Manzoni for many seasons, Villa Aranci (19th century) with an English garden, and Villa Sozzani (19th century) realized in neo-Gothic style. In the locality of Villa Lesa, the Parish Church is dedicated to San Giorgio e San Giovanni Battista. The small Church of San Sebastiano is found along the road leading to Massino Visconti. A jewel of Romanesque architecture, whose construction dates back to around 1100, it features a single nave with a semicircular apse and a gabled façade; also of interest is the bell tower displaying three orders of panels with hanging arches, also found in the apse. The cross-shaped opening on the exterior wall above the apse corresponds on the interior wall with a fresco symbolic of Christ the Light; other frescoes depict Christ Pantocrator with the symbols of the Evangelists and several Saints. Not far from the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore, there is an area of dis-

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His Majesty Lake Maggiore creet charm, made up of small villages with steep narrow streets, a profusion of greenery, stone and water, Romanesque bell towers rising atop placid hills, woods and meadows, amazing springtime blossomings, kilometres of trails and breathtaking views of the lake and the Alps: the Vergante region.

Situated in a hilly position, Massino Visconti is a town once famous for the manufacture of umbrellas and, in the 12th century, the cradle of the Visconti family, who later conquered the seigniory of Milan while maintaining their feudal rights here until the end of the 18th century.

Here you can still admire the Castle, extremely modified compared to the original structure of 1548, which had a drawbridge and a moat.

The ancient sloping, terraced battlements are an enchanting panoramic viewpoint surrounded by a large garden overlooking the lake. In the centre of the town is the Romanesque Church of San Michele, founded in the 11th century, but remodelled in the 17th century. The interior is embellished with frescoes realized in the 15th century attributed to Giovanni de Campo or his school. It has an unusual square bell tower, leaning due to damage caused by a landslide in 1585, with single lancet windows of various sizes and a mullioned window with a column surmounted by a stone crutch capital on which a face is carved. In an elevated position offering a panoramic view of Lake Maggiore, Varese, Monate and Comabbio, is the Monastic Complex of San Salvatore, founded by Benedictine monks around the year 1000, and then passed on in the 15th century to Augustinian monks who introduced the cult of the Madonna della Cintura, remaining for more than two centuries, and then to hermit priests sent there by the parish priest of Massino. The hermitage was continually altered over the centuries, but traces of the original construction can be found in the chapel under the church, now oriented differently from the older build50

His Majesty Lake Maggiore ing. Other chapels stand next to each other on the square: one dedicated to Saint Uguccione, another to Saint Joachim and Saint Anne and a last one to Saint Margaret; all richly frescoed, they can be reached by walking down a Holy Stairway. Continuing our route south through the hills, we come to Nebbiuno, a town renowned for the production of the Typical Flowers of Lake Maggiore, namely, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. Some findings bear witness to the presence of settlements here in both Roman and Lombard times. Its historical events are linked first to the Visconti and then to the Borromeos. The Parish Church of San Giorgio is referred to for the first time in the 14th century, but it is probably from an earlier period. The present-day building is, however, the result of renovations during the 18th century. An interesting fresco is seen in the lunette above the entrance portal, depicting St. George slaying the dragon. Continuing towards Pisano we find the village of Corciago, where the Church of Santi Nazaro e Celso merits a visit: tradition has it that it is one of a hundred churches built by Saint Julius. The 18th-century reconstruction incorporates part of the ancient Romanesque structure. We then arrive in Pisano, which shares with the nearby Nebbiuno the vocation as a town dedicated to agriculture. The Parish Church of Sant’Eusebio e dei Santi Maccabei is in the centre of the town: it underwent numerous modifications to reach the 17th-century forms we see today. Inside, portions of 13th- and 14th-century frescoes can still be seen; moreover, during excavations, remains of the ancient structure were unearthed. The Oratory of the Madonna dei Sette Dolori e delle Sette Allegrezze, along the road that leads to the village of Ghevio, in the municipality of Meina, was originally a small devotional chapel that was later enlarged in Baroque forms, and its vault decorated with frescoes in 1657.

Above Pisano there is the small village of Colazza, situated in a very panoramic position. In the historic centre you can admire the Church of San Bernardo and the Parish Church of the Beata Vergine Immacolata. Continuing further south we reach

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His Majesty Lake Maggiore Invorio, a village boasting ancient origins. Of its Castle, documented as early as 1039, today only a crenellated tower remains inside a private property. The Parish Church dedicated to Santi Pietro e Paolo was built in the 18th century on a previous building; worthy of mention is the Church of the Madonna del Castello, built in the locality of Invorio Superiore on the ruins of a Visconti fortress and dedicated to the Beata Vergine della Cintura. Also of interest is the single-nave Church of Santa Maria del Barro with the small Chapel of Santa Lucia, a few kilometres from the town in an elevated position, perhaps built on the ruins of a fortress. A short distance away we reach Paruzzaro, a village with medieval origins, where near the cemetery there is the ancient Church of San Marcello, once a parish church, with a single nave ending with a semicircular apse, dating back to the 11th century. Its interior contains 15th- and 16th-century frescoes, including a splendid Madonna del Latte dated 1488, by Giovanni Antonio Merli, as well as a cycle of episodes of the Life and Passion of Christ attributed to the Maestro di Postua and Sperindio Cagnola; the apse frescoes depicting Christ Pantocrator and the Evangelists are also of great interest. The Parish Church of San Siro and San

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His Majesty Lake Maggiore Marcello, instead, stands in the town centre on the ruins of a Visconti castle. The bell tower is of Romanesque origin, with a square ground plan, and built of river pebbles interspersed with stones. In the locality of San Grato, ruins are still visible of the ancient settlement of Borgo Agnello, built in the 13th century and almost entirely destroyed by Galeazzo Visconti during conflicts with the Marquis of Monferrato in the 14th century. Continuing south we reach Oleggio Castello. Inhabited by the Lombards, it belonged first to the Counts of Pombia, then to those of Biandrate, and finally became a Visconti feud. The Parish Church of San Martino stands on a hill in a panoramic position facing towards the Monte Rosa Chain; its original nucleus dates to the 12th century, but the church was completely rebuilt in the 17th century. On a wide plateau sloping down towards Arona, you can admire the Castello Dal Pozzo, a Victorian neo-Gothic-style residence with complex and asymmetrical forms, boasting a vast English-style park in which areas planted with tall trees alternate with lush green lawns, as well as a small lake.

Owned by the Dal Pozzo D’Annone family, today it is a luxury hotel and event location. Heading towards the hills at the southern tip of Lake Maggiore, we come to Comignago; of ancient origins, its name goes back to the gens Cominia, who colonized these lands in Roman times. In the centre we

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The Shores of Lake Orta

find the Abbey of the Santo Spirito, today much reduced in size compared to the original construction, of which only the bell tower, dating back to 1282, and the church, which has undergone various alterations over the centuries, still remain. On a hilltop stands the Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista, rebuilt in the 17th century on a previous 12th-century building. North of the town, there is the Necropolis of Motto Caneva, where a dozen tombs dating to the 4th/5th century AD have been found. Continuing southwards we arrive in Borgo Ticino, of medieval origin and a fief of the Borromeo family from the 15th to the 18th century. The Parish Church, dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta and situated on a small hill, is a 19th-century reconstruction which preserves traces of the earlier Romanesque building only in the area of the apse. To the north of the town stands the Baroque Sanctuary of the

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The Shores of Lake Orta Madonna delle Grazie, documented since the 12th century; of the original Romanesque structure only the bell tower and a section of wall with a fresco of a Madonna and Child remain. A pleasant walk leads us to the Riserva Naturale Orientata del Bosco Solivo, a nature reserve which preserves interesting testimonies of an ancient frequentation of the territory, such as the Prèia Güzza, an erratic boulder from the glacial era to which magical virtues linked to fertility are attributed. Nearby there is a picnic area and a well-organized fitness path with a series of stations.

The Shores of Lake Orta The small Lake Orta is enclosed by the steep slopes of the Mottarone, the peaks bordering the Valsesia and the last slopes of the Monte Rosa Massif. It presents a curiosity: unlike other pre-alpine lakes, its only emissary, the Nigoglia, flows northwards into the Strona, rather than southwards. A continuum of ancient gardens, romantic villas and mystical places of the spirit make its territory, the Cusio, one of the most charming destinations in the province. We start from Gozzano, to the south of Lake Orta, a renowned centre for the production of taps and fittings and small metal parts. With ancient origins, it once belonged to the bishops of Novara and was part of the fief of the Riviera d’Orta. The Collegiate Church of San Giuliano rises in an elevated position, on the remains of the ancient 9th-century parish church; it was rebuilt between the 18th and 19th centuries with a single nave ending in a semicircular apse and side chapels. Fragments of the ancient Romanesque building were reused in its reconstruction. The 11th-century bell tower is marked by hanging arches in six recessed wall panels. Next to it stands the Palazzo dei Vescovi (13th century) built on the ruins of an ancient castle. Religious tradition has it that the brothers Giulio and Giuliano, both Evangelists, built their ninety-ninth church here at the end of the 4th century, where, it is said, the remains of Giuliano were buried. Located outside the town, near the cemetery, the Church of San Lorenzo

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The Shores of Lake Orta has very ancient origins. Particularly noteworthy is the apsidal area, decorated with terracotta hanging arches; inside, the bays are divided by four large round arches.

Worthy of note are the 15th-century frescoes depicting Saints and the Adoration of the Magi. Along the road that leads to San Maurizio d’Opaglio stands the Church of Santa Maria di Luzzara, dating back to the 11th century, with a single nave, three apses and a gabled façade; on the roof stands a curious bell gable.

Both inside and outside you can admire splendid frescoes attributed to Francesco Cagnola and his school. Not far from Gozzano there is Bolzano Novarese, a hillside town that once closely followed the medieval vicissitudes of the feud of Isola San Giulio, a possession of the bishop-counts of Novara. Its most significant monument is the Church of San Martino in Engrevo, which stands near the cemetery and probably dates back to the 12th century. It has a simple gabled façade and a single nave, where frescoes from the 15th and 16th centuries depicting episodes from the life of St. Martin are preserved.

The 14th-century Parish Church of San Giovanni is worth a visit to admire the wooden interiors of its choir and pulpit. Proceeding in the direction of Ameno, we follow the signs for the Convent of Monte Mesma. Situated in a very panoramic position, this Franciscan monastery was built in 1619 on the ruins of an ancient castle; it is divided into two cloisters, the first of which was used to receive pilgrims; from here visitors enter the so-called “sala dello stufone,” a small room where you can admire a large stove, dated 1727, made of black stone from nearby Oira. The single-nave church preserves a wooden Crucifix of 1712. Nearby, facing the lake, the Buccione Tower rises to a height of 23 metres; with functions of defence, also serving as a lookout post, it was once part of a large fortification built in the 12th century. Both Monte Mesma and the Buccione Tower, together with the Sacred Mount of Orta, constitute a Special Nature Reserve. Continuing northwards we reach Vacciago, a lakeside frazione of 56

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Ameno boasting an array of prestigious villas and holiday residences. In the centre we find the Calderara Museum, a beautiful 17th-century building, the house-cumstudio of the artist Antonio Calderara and seat of the foundation dedicated to him.

The collection, comprising over three hundred works, between paintings and sculptures, was created thanks to the acquisitions and the exchanges that the artist made with other artists, his contemporaries. On the road connecting Vacciago and Ameno, in a panoramic position, stands the Sanctuary of the Bocciola, built on the ruins of a small church in memory of an apparition of the Virgin. We thus reach Ameno. The Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, of medieval origin, today has forms dating back to the second half of the 14th century. It has a remarkable late Romanesque bell tower built with blocks of granite and marked by three-light windows, pairs of mullioned windows and single-lancet windows with hanging arches.

In the direction of Miasino stands Villa Monte Oro, a grandiose building designed by Carlo Nigra in 1926 in Art Nouveau style, with various two- or three- storey volumes. Worthy of note is the vast park that occupies the entire hill with plant species of immense value and beauty. Our route through the

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The Shores of Lake Orta Cusio area continues towards Miasino, an ancient village with narrow cobblestone streets bordered by aristocratic residences, some of which are decorated with votive frescoes. The Parish Church dedicated to San Rocco was built in 1566 to replace a previous Romanesque church and enlarged in 1627; the Latin cross-shaped interior with six sumptuous chapels is filled with Baroque works by the greatest artists of the period in the Novara area : Procaccini, Nuvolone, Bonola and Legnanino. In the centre stands Villa Nigra, one of the most elegant country houses in the area, composed of three buildings realized between the 16th and the 18th centuries. Its garden is full of secular plants. Continuing along the SP39 we reach Armeno, at the foot of the Mottarone. Near the cemetery, we find the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, an important example of Lombard Romanesque architecture, already referred to in the 12th century as a dependency of the parish church of San Giulio. The façade is built in squared blocks of stone with a portal enriched by capitals and columns with medieval decorations. The church contains interesting 15th-century frescoes and a famous three-faced Trinity, a rare example of anthropomorphic representation that survived the prohibitions of the Council of Trent. Armeno is also home to the Museo degli Alberghieri (Museum of Hoteliers) dedicated to the profession that many of the town’s inhabitants have undertaken in past years, travelling all around the world.

From the hillsides we descend towards the lake to Pettenasco, a lively town built on the alluvial plain created by the Pescone torrent. The Church of Sant’Audenzio e Caterina was built in 1778 on the Romanesque Chapel of Sant’Audenzio, of which the bell tower, one of the oldest of the entire Riviera, built of irregularly arranged pebbles and angular reinforcements with squared blocks, still stands. Part of the Ecomuseo Cusius circuit, the Museo dell’Arte della Tornitura del Legno (Museum of the Art of Wood Turning), housed in the 58

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spaces of an old turning workshop on the Roggia Molinara canal, holds a vast repertoire of objects, tools and machinery from various factories and workshops active in this area in the past. Heading south we reach Orta San Giulio, a well-known tourist destination, whose name derives from the evangelizing saint sent here in the 4th century by Emperor Theodosius to oppose the Arian heresy. A Longobardic centre and later a borgofranco, it passed into the hands of the bishops of Novara, who ruled the feud for over five hundred years, up to the arrival of the Savoys in 1817. The town extends around Piazza Motta, the lakeside “front parlour” where the Palazzo della Comunità stands: dating back to 1582, this is where the General Council of the Riviera d’Orta used to meet; the outer walls are decorated with the coats of arms of several bishops of Novara who succeeded one another in the government of the area. The painting above the door depicting Justice testifies to the role of the building. From the square, a cobblestone street with steps departs; it is the so-called “salita della Motta,” along which we find some of Orta’s oldest buildings, such as Palazzo Gemelli, a late Renaissance construction with a beautiful Italian garden and a façade embellished with frescoed decorations, and the Casa dei Nani, the oldest house in Orta, believed to date back to the 14th century. It is embellished with granite columns supporting a wooden architrave, four small windows, and frescoes depicting the Annunciation, the Ascension and a Madonna and Child. The street ends with the Parish Church of Santa Maria Assunta, built in 1485 and rebuilt in the second half of the 18th century. The Baroque interior houses splendid works by Giulio Cesare Procaccini and The Procession of San Carlo during the Plague by Giovan Battista Cantalupi in the Chapel of the Rosary; in the presbytery, instead, a painting

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The Shores of Lake Orta with musician Angels attributed to Morazzone is conserved. On the walls, works by Legnanino, Bianchi and Abbiati. Continuing the climb, we reach the Sacred Mount of Orta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Special Nature Reserve, located in a panoramic position overlooking the town of Orta and the lake. The Sacred Mount is a religious complex consisting of a series of chapels, a church and a convent, realised on the initiative of the Archbishop of Milan Carlo Borromeo and Abbot Amico Canobio, from Novara. Work for its construction began in 1591 and was completed in 1790, in the area where the pre-existing Church of San Nicolao, of medieval origin, once stood. It is characterized by a devotional path narrating the life of St. Francis of Assisi in twenty chapels richly decorated with frescoes and life-size statuary groups realised in painted terracotta with great realism and dramatic effect. Some of the most important masters of Lombard art worked here to create the decorations: Morazzone, the brothers Giovanni Battista and Giovanni Mauro della Rovere (known as the Fiammenghini), Carlo Francesco and Giuseppe Nuvolone and Legnanino. The sculptures, instead, are by Cristoforo Prestinari, Dionigi Bussola and Carlo Beretta.

From Piazza Motta, boats leave every few minutes for the Isola di San Giulio, a mustsee destination and a place full of enchantment in the middle of the lake. The Basilica of San Giulio found here has very ancient origins: the primitive church is dated back to the 4th/5th century, but its current appearance places it in the 11th/12th century, with a Romanesque reconstruction that makes it one of the most important buildings of this style in the Piemonte region. The monumental bell tower is from the 11th century. The interior has a Latin cross plan with nave and two side aisles, three apses, two matronei and a raised transept, richly decorated and almost completely frescoed. In the right aisle there are remarkable 15th-century frescoes attributed to the school of Gaudenzio Ferrari. Figures of Saints adorn the pillars: the oldest is the one depicting the Martyrdom of St. Laurence (14th century).

Against a pillar of the left aisle, is the famous ambon sculpted in green-grey serpentine marble from the nearby quarries of 60

The Shores of Lake Orta Oira, a masterpiece of Romanesque art where the symbols of the Evangelists are represented alternating with scenes of the struggle between good and evil. The figure with a cloak and a walking stick is thought to represent Abbot William of Volpiano, born on the island in 962. In the crypt, instead, the remains of St. Julius are kept in a silver urn. Our visit to the island continues along the only path, which invites prayer and meditation. We pass by the Mater Ecclesiæ Benedictine Abbey, once the Bishops’ Palace, later the diocesan seminary, and today the seat of the important cloistered women’s monastery. We now take a boat and reach the western shore of the lake and Pella. Here there are traces of medieval fortifications that still today characterize the profile of the town. In the locality of Prorio, where our boat docks, the Romanesque Complex of San Filiberto overlooks the lake: the church, with its simple gabled façade and a polygonal apse, has undergone major alterations over the centuries. All that remains of the Romanesque structure is the bell tower built with blocks of serizzo stone, with mullioned windows, single lancet windows and decorative hanging arches. Walking towards the village of Pella, we find the Parish Church of Sant’Albino (1591), located a certain distance back from the shoreline; from here we cross the Pellino torrent by way of a stone, donkey-backed bridge (1578) which in the past connected the church to the cemetery of San Rocco. We head southwards to reach San Maurizio d’Opaglio, a lively industrial town specialized in the manufacture of sanitary fittings. The Parish Church of San Maurizio was founded in 1568 and enlarged in the following years; in the apse basin it preserves frescoes by Giovan Battista Cantalupi depicting the Glory of San Mauritius. The Oratory and the Fountain of San Giulio are surrounded by a thick forest in the locality of Opagliolo.

Under the arcade leading to the church is a spring that has always been an object of devotion. The only of its kind in the whole world, the Museo del Rubinetto (Museum of the Tap) is part of the Ecomuseo Cusius circuit: here period objects and descrip-

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The Shores of Lake Orta

tive panels dealing with topics such as the use of water for food, personal hygiene, washing clothes and waste disposal are displayed in a historical path marked by the most important technological innovations. Our itinerary continues to Pogno, another town specialized in the production of taps. It was certainly a fortified village, as shown by the ruins of the castle. The Parish Church of Santi Pietro e Paolo was built in the 17th century on an earlier Romanesque oratory and enlarged during the following century. The structure has a tall, grey stone bell tower. We then reach Soriso, which extends over a moraine plateau south of Lake Orta. In the centre of the village we find the Parish Church of San Giacomo, of medieval origins, but which today appears as a Baroque structure with a single nave surrounded by a peristyle supported by 36 granite columns. The three large canvases in the choir depicting the life of St. James, painted by Tarquinio Grassi in 1733, are of great artistic value. The historic centre presents several elegant buildings such as Palazzo Ravizza and Villa Mongini. Also of interest is the Oratory of the Beata Vergine della Gelata located outside the town, with a beautiful fresco by Tommaso Cagnola dated 1490. Moving a little further south, we arrive in Gargallo, a town with an industrial and artisan vocation, already mentioned in the 11th century; the Parish

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The Shores of Lake Orta Church of San Pietro, of Romanesque origin but remodelled during the 18th century, is well worth a visit. Frescoes by Cantalupi da Miasino representing the Mysteries of the Rosary are conserved in the Chapel of the Rosary; in the choir, instead, there is a fresco of the Risen Christ by Defendente Peracino. The last stop of our itinerary is Briga Novarese, an ancient village frequented by the Celtic-Ligurian population in the Neolithic period, and then by the Romans, as evidenced by many archaeological finds. On the hills to the north-east of the town we find the ruins of an early medieval castle belonging to the Counts of Biandrate which was later destroyed, probably towards the end of the 13th century; with the material recovered and the partial use of the foundations, the ancient Oratory of San Colombano was rebuilt in 1594, with its precious frescoes. The Romanesque Chapel of San Tommaso, datable to around the 11th century, stands on a rise overlooking the Via Francigena. It has a single nave with a semicircular apse; the gabled façade was further elevated in 1918.

Inside, the apse preserves precious frescoes from the first half of the 11th century depicting the Virgin and the Apostles, the dove, the Angels and Christ with the symbols of the Evangelists, probably realised by painter-monks. In the centre of the town we find the Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista, whose original nucleus dates to the 12th century, but which was remodelled in the 16th century.

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LICEO ARTISTICO MUSICALE e COREUTICO

FELICE CASORATI

Per tutte le informazioni di carattere turistico visita i siti www.turismonovara.it e www.distrettolaghi.it o contatta info@turismonovara.it @atlnovara Novara e provincia una finestra sul territorio © Tutti i diritti sono riservati all’Agenzia Turistica Locale della Provincia di Novara e alla Provincia di Novara. Nessuna parte dell’opera può essere riprodotta o trasmessa in qualsiasi forma o mezzo, sia elettronico, meccanico, fotografico o altro, senza preventivo consenso scritto da parte del proprietario del copyright.

In collaborazione con gli allievi e i docenti del Liceo Artistico Musicale e Coreutico “F. Casorati” di Novara e di Romagnano Sesia.

Si ringraziano: Andrea Bagnati, Maria Bagnati, Marina Cremonini, Susanna Galfrè, Ilaria Fornara, Mario Moscotto, Alice Salerno, Ilaria Zanellato.

Si declina ogni responsabilità per eventuali errori e/o inesattezze e, pur garantendo la massima affidabilità dell’opera, non si risponde di danni derivanti dall’uso dei testi contenuti né tantomeno da involontari refusi o errori di stampa.