What to see and what to do in Lago di Varese

The Estense Palace is one of the most visited and appreciated historical points in Varese. The construction dates back to the second half of the 18th century on a project by the architect Giuseppe Antonio Bianchi, who also created a splendid garden, and it was for years the residence of the Duke of Modena Francesco III of Este. Nowadays, the Palace is home to the City Hall of the city of Varese.

The Sacro Monte of Varese, with its 14 Chapels that wind along a cobblestone of about 2 km, is undoubtedly the most fascinating Marian itinerary in the world.

The collegiate basilica of San Vittore is dedicated to San Vittore and was built between the 16th and 17th centuries on a fourteenth-century structure. It has a baroque bell tower, and a neoclassical façade by Leopoldo Pollack.

Piazza Montegrappa is located in the center of Varese and represents the main square of the city. Surrounded by numerous bars, a symbol of the city's nightlife, in the center there is a large and evocative fountain.

The Villa, built in 1901, takes its name from the Polish banker Giuseppe Toeplitz, who bought it in 1914. In 1972 the property was acquired by the Municipality of Varese, who decided to open the park to the public. Today the park covers an area of about four hectares, characterized by an original architecture of driveways embellished with numerous varieties of exotic species and rejoiced by water features.

Villa Panza is known for its contemporary art collection. Surrounded by a magnificent Italian garden, it was built in the middle of the 18th century by the will of the Marquis Paolo Antonio Menafoglio. In the salons and large stables, more than one hundred works by contemporary artists are exhibited today, as well as rich furnishings from the period ranging from the 16th to the 19th century and to an important collection of African art and pre-Columbian.

The construction of the bell tower began in the 11th century and ended in 1631 by Bernascone, an architect well known at the time. Recently, he underwent restoration, as there was a fire. From the bell tower you can see an enviable and beautiful view of the whole city.

The Baptistery of Saint John was built between the end of the 13th and early fourteenth century. The architecture consists of two quadrangular blocks. Restorations were made always keeping the original masonry and decoration. The façade has a bell structure.

The Valganna Caves are caves of karst origin and are located in the territory of Induno Olona. These caves are among the best known in the area. They are the karst product of the Margorabbia River, which disappears in Cunardo under a system of caves.

The construction of the building began in the 18th century and takes its name from the hill where it is located. It has an English-style garden that preserves very rare trees such as the centuries-old cedar of Lebanon. Today it is home to the Civic Museum of Varese. Inside the archaeological museum you can observe the ``mummy of the museums of Varese ``, still under study, taken care of by the Institute of Anatomy and Pathological Histology of the University of Pisa. Among the findings of the culture of Golasecca can be noted the tomb of the Warrior of Sesto Calende.

The park dominates the hilly area of the city of Varese, and includes two massifs, the Massif of Mount Martica and the Campo dei Fiori Massif. It is part of the Varese Prealps chain, and has slopes dominated by deciduous forests such as beech and chestnut trees and many animal species including the two majestic ungulates, the deer and the roe deer, as well as foxes, hares and red squirrels.

Masnago Castle was built around the fifteenth century by the Castiglioni family for military purposes. A characteristic feature of this building are the numerous international Gothic frescoes that enrich the walls inside it, and, in addition to these, we also find the works of modern Lombard painters collected and contemporaries. Today the municipality has used it as a Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.

The Villa Cagnola was built in the 18th century. In 1700 the building was the private residence of the noble Perbo. In 1850 the villa passed under the property of Giuseppe Cagnola who transformed it into a Villa of Delights. In fact, he furnished it with different works of art. Since the nobleman had no children, he donated the villa to the Church. Currently in the rooms of the villa there is the Higher Institute of Religious Studies.

This museum is currently being housed in the Villa Mirabello. It was built in 1871 by local scholars and enthusiasts. In 1875 the Marquis Andrea Ponti made donations to the museum that allowed him to become a famous museum in the region. Today, the museum preserves prehistoric Varesotto materials ranging from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.

Opened in 2002, the Teatro di Varese was built with an avant-garde architectural style. The building accommodates up to 1,208 people and organizes events with actors of national fame.

The museum, which was formerly based in Villa Mirabella, was moved inside the Castle of Masnago in 1995. He owns several collections of contemporary and modern art, works by numerous artists from Varese and beyond. You can admire the work of Pellini, Longoni, Magatti, Bodini, and many other homologous artists. The museum is open to the public.

The Tactile Museum of Varese was inaugurated in 2011, on the inspiration of the Italian Blind Union. This represents today a unique example in Europe, as it is dedicated exclusively to the display of tactile models made of wood. Its main objective is to become a sort of three-dimensional encyclopedia capable of stimulating not only the interest in tactile knowledge, but also that for the artistic and non-artistic 'world'. In fact, the sighted visitors pay the visit blindfolded in such a way as to experience tactile knowledge in its most essential form. In addition, very interesting and fun sensory paths are organized here.

The Olona Valley Park is located in the southeast of the country in Molini, and spans in an area of about 80,000 sqm. It includes the last part of the Olona Valley and the area of the confluence with the adjacent valleys.