The best cycling routes around Pisano

For lovers of walking, historical monument, on the route

In Arona, the birthplace of San Carlo Borromeo, stands the imposing statue dedicated to the saint, built after his canonization to celebrate the greatness of the Milanese archbishop. For almost two centuries, this statue held the record for being the tallest in the world. The city preserves many places linked to the life of Borromeo: the Rocca, his birthplace, today transformed into an enchanting panoramic park with the remains of the ancient fortress; the collegiate church of Santa Maria Nascente, where he was baptized; and the church of the Santi Martiri, where he celebrated his last mass before returning to Milan, where he died in 1584.

Between the town of Vacciago and its cemetery, on a panoramic point overlooking Lake Orta, stands the church of Sant'Antonio Abate. Mentioned for the first time in a document from 1217, it contains a splendid fresco depicting the glory of Sant’Antonio Abate, painted in 1691 by the painter Giorgio Bonola.

The hamlet of Lortallo was a very pleasant surprise for me. Leaving Ameno, I was attracted by the sight of the mighty tower, which I later discovered was built in the 13th century. It is in excellent condition. Next to the tower, there is the Church of San Grato, which dates back to the 18th century (the bell tower is dated 1758). To the side of the tower and the church (which unfortunately I found closed and which is rarely open), closing the pretty little square, there is one of the entrances to Palazzo Decio, which I could only see from the outside because it is privately owned. However, the palace is used as a location for weddings and other celebrations, so online it is possible to see the interior, which develops around a large garden with a splendid view of Lake Orta. But the surprises offered by Lortallo do not stop there. In fact, I read that archaeological research conducted in Lortallo between 1915 and 1938, brought to light one of the most important necropolises of the early First Iron Age. The necropolis complex features tombs dating from the 9th to the 5th century BC and the findings can be placed within the Golasecca Culture, a common expression of various Celtic tribal groups that lived in the early Iron Age in western Lombardy, the Novara area and the Canton of Ticino. In short, it seems that Lortallo has been inhabited since the dawn of time.

The Church of San Donato is a true jewel of the sacred architecture characteristic of Vergante. The original place of worship, developed on a single nave plan, was built in the 11th century, but the oldest evidence of its existence dates back to 1169. During the fourteenth century the church was partially rebuilt in Romanesque-Gothic style and enlarged. In 1780 a large churchyard was built in front of the main façade, surrounded by fourteen chapels of the Via Crucis. In the nineteenth century the ancient medieval bell tower adjacent to the building was struck by lightning, which caused it to collapse; in its place, a new stone bell tower was erected. In 1902 the church was declared a national monument, confirming its importance as a very valuable example of the sacred architecture of the entire Vergante area.

The website www.bikelagodorta.it publishes for free, without any commercial purpose, about seventy bicycle routes in the territory of Lake Orta through GPX tracks. The tracks all start from the town of Gozzano and all end in Gozzano, but it is possible to start following a GPX track from any point of the route according to your needs.

The washhouse of Invorio Superiore is in excellent condition, with water still flowing and draining from the large stone basin. Like so many other aspects of Invorio Superiore, this one also echoes the life of times gone by, beautifully evoked throughout the town.

The origins of the church are thought to date back to the 13th century, although some scholars suggest that there was an even older place of worship on the same site, probably a small chapel used by pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. In fact, being dedicated to St. James, it is possible that the church had a symbolic role in the medieval pilgrimage route, a sort of sacred stop for those moving towards Spain. Over the centuries, the structure has been modified and expanded several times. Subsequent interventions have enriched the original Romanesque architecture with Gothic and Renaissance elements, as often happened in local churches that reflected the architectural transformations of the time. Even today, it is possible to glimpse remains of medieval frescoes and ancient decorations that make the interior of the church very interesting.