 ARONA
Town Hall Tel. 0322.231.111 - Fax 0322.231.111
Tourist Information Tel. 0322.243.601
Arona
is an important commercial and tourist centre. It is the most
populated town, the major port of Lago Maggiore and also
one of the most important centres of road junctions. Already
under Roman control, in the Middle Ages, under Visconti
and then Borromeo, became famous being the birthplace
of San Carlo Borromeo (1538-84). In the town you can find
many souvenirs of the Saint, bishop of Milan, but the real
attraction is the colossal statue, called Sancarlone, made
up of bronze and copper, 23.40 metres height, situated on
the hill, behind the town, and built in 1697 by Bernardo
Falconi and Siro Zanelli, with the models of Cerano.  The
inside of the colossus can be visited and two stairs lead
to the head, where six persons stand up. From the eyes/windows
you can admire a beautiful panorama of the lake.
The history reminds that when Barbarossa, in 1162, destroyed Milan,
the nobility took refuge here in the Fortress  and so a relationship
between the town and the village began and lasted for many centuries.
The fortune of Arona, both under the commercial profile and the tourist one,
is dated back to that episode. It is worth visiting Arona: the promenade along the
lake offers a beautiful view of the Fortress of Angera on the Lombardian
shore- the hinterland- and the picturesque hill villages dipped in the woods of Vergante.
The monumental and architectural repertory is important too: it is worth visiting the historical
centre rich in buildings. You can see the church of "Santissimi Martiri", originally
romanesque, with a baroque facade and neo-classic inside, the "Collegiata di Santa Maria",
belonging to the Renaissance, or Villa Ponti  . In the lower town there is the XV century "Palazzo di Giustizia",
with arcades and pointed arches. In Dagnente, a little village on the hill towards Meina,
it is preserved a monumental grave of the politician Felice Cavallotti,
work of art of the sculptor Troubetzkoy. "La Fiera Campionaria Generale del Lago Maggiore",
which lasts from the end of May to the beginning of June,
bears evidence of the commercial and industrial activities of this town.
© Edizioni Marwan
Fotografie: Mario Parietti
Redazione: Roberto Stangalini
|
|
