The best city hikes and walks in Novara

Spectacular view of the city of Arona and Lake Maggiore

Pedestrian area, also suitable for bicycles (but be careful of pedestrian traffic, especially on weekends!)

Once you arrive in Arona, walk along the lakeside and have an ice cream, go up to visit the statue of S. Carlone but... don't forget to visit the Rocca too! Founded in a period shortly before the year 1000 under the control of the Lombards, for four centuries the Rocca remained in the hands of the Borromeo family, giving birth to Cardinal San Carlo Borromeo in 1538; the history of the Rocca di Arona ends in 1800 when the Napoleonic army received the order to destroy some fortifications occupied by the Austrians; from that moment on only a few ruins of the Rocca di Arona remain. From above you can also enjoy a spectacular view of Arona below, of Angera opposite and of this entire stretch of lake!

Palazzo Natta is an ancient historical-noble palace in the city of Novara, in Piedmont. Today it houses the Province of Novara and the prefecture. In the place, already in Roman times near the Cardo (corresponding to the Cavour and Mazzini courses) and the Decumanus (corresponding to the Cavallotti and Italia courses), there was the aristocratic district of the city in the Middle Ages, called Contrada delle torri lunghe. Around the 13th century the Counts Caccia di Mandello and Castellazzo, a noble and ancient family from Novara, built their residence there, of which the civic tower with the clock is preserved today; documented as early as 1268 and called Torre grande. Later the building was acquired by the Natta d'Alfiano and Natta Isola di Casale families, who rebuilt and enlarged it between the 16th and 18th centuries. The main project of 1580 is attributed to the famous architect Pellegrino Tibaldi, who composed a square-plan palace centered on the internal porticoed courtyard and with a rear garden aligned perspectively on the main axis of the building. The courtyard, surrounded by a portico on Doric columns, has a compass rose made with river pebbles on the pavement, also repeated in the garden. A monumental staircase leads to the first floor, where the rooms are decorated with frescoes by the painter De Giorgi. After the unification of Italy, the palace was raised by one floor and the two final ramps were added to the staircase. The garden, restored in 1998, is centered on a fountain in pink Baveno marble and is closed by an eighteenth-century exedra in rocaille style that frames a trompe-l'œil. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Natta

The Church of Monserrato is located on the central Corso Cavour. Its façade is simple and unobtrusive, with neoclassical elements. The current building is the result of various interventions over the centuries and therefore incorporates elements from different styles and eras. The oldest furnishings and paintings date back to the end of the 16th century, while the main altar dates back to the Baroque period.

The Broletto of Novara is a medieval architectural complex consisting of four historic buildings, built in different periods and with distinct and disparate artistic styles, arranged in a quadrangle around a central courtyard (or "arengo"). Located in the city center, a short distance from the Cathedral, it is accessible through an archway from Piazza della Repubblica (to the south) and a second archway from Corso Italia (to the north). The Broletto was originally an enclosed courtyard in the heart of the city, where commerce and various public activities took place. The construction of the assembly and judicial buildings dates back to the period immediately after the Peace of Constance (1183), as was the case in several Lombard cities. The exact date of construction is unknown, but the first references to the complex in historical documents date back to 1208, in the expressions "in broreto comunis novarie" and "sub palacio comunis." Excavations during restoration work in the 20th century also confirmed that the complex was built on pre-existing buildings. This was confirmed by the discovery of sections of wall and mosaic floors from the Roman period. From the mid-16th century onwards, neglect led to a progressive deterioration of the complex. It was not until the 19th century that the first tentative restoration measures were undertaken. At the end of the 1920s, a restoration project was carried out in various areas in Novara to restore its original appearance. In this context, the architect Giovanni Lazanio oversaw the restoration of the Broletto, which had been subject to various degrading interventions in previous centuries, particularly in the 19th century by the engineers Luigi Orelli and Stefano Ignazio Melchioni [ 6 ] : the single-lancet windows of the Palazzo del Podestà, the triple-lancet windows of the Salone dell'Arengo, and the walled-up porticoes of the courtyard were reopened. The fountain and the external staircase leading to the Arengo, demolished in the 18th century, were rebuilt, and the courtyard was cleared of superfluous elements, including a large urinal and the newsstand. The Broletto complex reopened to the public in March 2011, on the occasion of the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, after a restoration project lasting over two years. The complex now houses a Modern Art Gallery and hosts temporary exhibitions and presentations. In summer, there is also an open-air cinema. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broletto_(Novara)

The "Faraggiana Ferrandi" Natural History Museum is located in Novara and can be visited free of charge. It is the second largest natural science museum in Piedmont after the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences in Turin. The museum is located in the historic center of Novara inside the Palazzo Faraggiana, a building dating back to the 19th century whose internal courtyards host an educational garden with native plants and a small artificial pond with the reconstruction of a marshy environment. The palace remained the property of the Faraggiana family until 1937, when it was purchased by the Municipality of Novara. The main nucleus of the collection comes from the Faraggiana family collection, in particular from Catherine Faraggiana Ferrandi and her son Alessandro Faraggiana Ferrandi, a passionate explorer with numerous expeditions to Africa and Asia. The two created a small zoo and a museum inside the park of Villa Faraggiana in Meina which were sold to the municipality of Novara. Since 1959 they have been located in the Palazzo Faraggiana together with the civic scientific collections. The zoological collection includes almost 2,500 specimens of stuffed animals, of which over 450 are on display to the public. Of particular note are a snow leopard, the lesser panda, the musk ox and the eared pheasant. The ethnographic collection of Ugo Ferrandi was added to the zoological collection. The naturalistic collection is completed by two entomological collections with almost 10,000 specimens. A small collection of minerals and a historical herbarium of native plants complete the collection. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_di_storia_naturale_Faraggiana_Ferrandi

maybe not the first devision, but take an eye an the lower ones, maybe also interesting. https://www.novarafootballclub.it/