The best cycling routes around Nebbiuno

Villa Crespi is a historic 19th-century Moorish Revival-style residence located in Orta San Giulio, on the shores of Lake Orta. The building was commissioned at the end of the 19th century by the cotton manufacturer Cristoforo Benigno Crespi and is distinguished by its characteristic minaret-like tower and elaborate oriental-style decorations. Currently, the structure houses a renowned luxury hotel and the famous restaurant of chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo.

For lovers of walking, historical monument, on the route

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Tiny village, but worth "crossing" and from which you can have a beautiful view of the lake

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.

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 Church of San Leonardo stands on a hill and from the churchyard a very wide panorama opens up. The current appearance highlights a fairly recent structure, but the facade reveals its ancient Romanesque derivation. Its origin is unknown. Based on the devotion to San Leonardo, to whom the sacred building has always been dedicated, it can be plausibly hypothesized around the year one thousand. To support this conjecture, the interesting data provided by the Milanese historian Goffredo da Bussero (1220-1289), in the manuscript Liber notitiæ sanctorum Mediolani, published in 1917 edited by Marco Magistretti and Ugo Monneret de Villard, containing the list of all the Churches of the Milanese Pievi of the 13th century and of the saints who are venerated there. On page 215, n. 241, we read: In plebe Angera, loco Campeliano, ecclesia sancti Leonardi – In the Pieve of Angera, in the town of Tapiliano [Campeliano is a clear error by the copyist] the Church of San Leonardo. In 1820, the works to expand the Church began: the base and the first level of the Bell Tower, the Baptistery, the Chapel of the Holy Crucifix and the Sacristy were built.