The best traffic-free bike rides around Angera

The Villoresi Canal begins at the Panperduto Dam, a historic and imposing hydraulic junction located in the municipality of Somma Lombardo (VA), where the canal draws its waters from the Ticino river.

the view is always fascinating!

Stop for a few minutes to enjoy the view...truly relaxing!

It was a late 19th-century engineer, Eugenio Villoresi, son of the director of the gardens of Villa Reale in Monza, who envisioned extending the irrigation of the fields upstream from this imaginary line. He therefore designed a long canal connecting Lake Maggiore to the Adda River, using its waters to distribute, for a fee, to all the fields between the canal and the fountain line. Obtaining the government concession and securing the project's financing was certainly no easy feat; Villoresi did not see its completion, which took place in 1890, 11 years after his death.

Convenient, protected connection. Interesting views of the railway bridge and old factories, now, I fear, abandoned to their fate.

Barrier-free concrete bridge to cross the stream, convenient for entering the woods

Santa Caterina del Sasso, Leggiuno Santa Caterina del Sasso Ballaro (actually Eremo di Santa Catarina del Sasso Ballara) was originally a hermitage. It is now located in the Italian municipality of Leggiuno in the province of Varese. In the 13th century, Dominicans converted the building into a monastery. This is a destination for many pilgrimages. It is located directly on Lake Maggiore and, like many former hermitages, is built on a rock in a location that is difficult to access. Construction began in the early 13th century, but the main work dates back to around 1300/1320. The core of the complex is the small church dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The nickname "del sasso" means that the building stands on a rock; "Sasso Ballaro" refers to a rockslide in 1640 that caused significant damage. "Sasso ballaro" roughly translates as "wobbly rock." According to tradition, the merchant Alberto Besozzi founded the monastery after he had successfully survived a shipwreck on the lake. He later became a hermit and is buried in the church. In 1230, Dominicans built the small convent and oratory. Around 1450, additional staircases were added to connect the individual parts of the building. In the following centuries, the monastery was rebuilt and expanded several times to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims. The 14th-century church tower is still Romanesque. The Renaissance decorations on the current façade date from the 15th century, the numerous frescoes in the former refectory, the arcade, and the church date from the 14th to 17th centuries, and the paintings in the church are Baroque. Due to the steep slope and the difficult subsoil, the interior of the church is shaped to follow the curve of the mountain. It is richly frescoed, although moisture damage has destroyed significant portions of the paintings. The frescoes date primarily from the 16th century and were further enhanced with floral motifs in the 17th century. At the center of the church stands the sarcophagus of the founder, the hermit Alberto. In the courtyard separating the church from the convent building stands an old wine press dating from 1769. Text / Source: Province of Varese - Piazza Libertà No. 1 - 21100 Varese http://www.santacaterinadelsasso.com/

The Santa Caterina del Sasso church impresses with its unique construction. When visiting the sanctuary, you will encounter three buildings that make up the entire structure: the southern cloister, the small cloister, and finally the church, which houses the body of St. Besozzi and the Chapel of St. Catherine. The southern cloister was built in 1300 and renovated in 1624 by Prior Giulio Cesare Martignoni after part of the old wooden structure collapsed into the lake. It is accessed through an archway supported by slender granite columns. The small cloister is located opposite the courtyard where a large wine press stands. Text / Source: Lago-Maggiore.de https://www.lago-maggiore.de/ausflugsziele/kloster-santa-caterina-del-sasso.html