Visit Ameno, Tourism and travel tips

Island of San Giulio on Lake Orta

Alleys of the village Orta San Giulio

In the middle of Lake Orta, but not really in the middle, there is the island of San Giulio”. So begins the novel by Gianni Rodari “Baron Lamberto was twice there, or the mysteries of the Island of San Giulio”. After visiting Orta and its Sacro Monte dedicated to the life of San Francesco, from which you have a wonderful view of the lake, you can reach the island, in 5 minutes, with a boat. Quiet and silence reign here, disturbed occasionally by the footsteps of tourists.

The state of affairs is also reflected in the two streets that frame the island: one is called the Way of Silence, the other Way of Meditation. Along the streets are the signs on which are the highs that lead visitors to reflection and meditation. Listen to the silence, listen to the water, the wind, your steps. Silence is the language of love, silence is music and harmony say the signs inserted in the centuries-old walls of the monastery and in those of villas with beautiful gardens, sending us the message of the power of silence.

Walking along the island in the opposite direction we find other signs, which invite you to meditation and inner reflection: When you are aware, the journey is over. If you come to be who you are, you are everything. The wise man makes a mistake and smiles. Be simple, be yourself. These are the words written by Mother Anna Maria Canopi, abbess and founder of the monastery of the Beneditine Sisters, who together with the Basilica of San Giulio, contributes to the atmosphere mystic and religious of the island.

scritto da Kenneth Harrison - ultima modifica il 31/10/2021

A trip to Stresa on Lake Maggiore: places to visit and Borromean Islands

Palazzo Borromeo

Places to visit in Stresa Stresa is an excellent found to discover Lake Maggiore and its surrounding vicinity.
Visiting this place gives you the chance to visit and explore more spectacular scenaries including the annual festivals and concerts.
Major attractions include: Villa Taranto gardens - these are gardens that have a magnificent collection of flowers and plants all over the world in an English style plot.
The Umbrella Museum - this is located in Gignese near Stresa and contains a wonderful collection of umbrellas and parasols including a detailed history of the many families from the Gignese are who build them.
Stresa-Mottarone Cable Car - this takes you on a twenty minutes panoramic ride to Mount Mottarone giving you a chance to visit Alpine Gardens upon stoppage in the mid-way and by climbing the summit one gets a full 360° view of the Alps and over seven lakes.
Villa Pallavicino which is a 19th century villa is surrounded by landscaped parkland containing beautiful flowers, plants and trees with a small zoo.
In addition to the sites of attraction, there are a lot more activities you could do while in Stresa. There are numerous events you can enjoy during your retreat or visit including attending the Stresa festival, Jazz Ascona, Stresa jazz club concerts, the sound of America Honour Band amongst other local festivals.
Taking walks is one of the best ways to discover the hidden treasures of Stresa and Lake Maggiore or even beyond. There are a good number of towns around Lake Maggiore including Ascona , Baveno, Pallanza and Cannobio which are worth a visit.
You could indulge into other special interest in Stresa including religious tours, sports while finding out more about family activities. There are guided excursions which will facilitate your exploration around Lake Maggiore or visits to the last supper in Milan.
Isole Borromee Also known as Borromean Islands, they include three small islands and two islets located at the western arm of Lake Maggiore between Stresa and Verbania. Though covering a total of an estimated 50 acres, their picturesque setting is a major tourist attraction.
Deriving their name from the Borromeo family the islands are:
Isola Bella - this is a natural treasure made even better through human intervention and provides its visitors unparalleled view of Lake Maggiore. Dominated by its sumptuous baroque palace together with luxuriant Italian-style garden makes the island stands out as one of the tourist favorite destination. The gardens are stretched out on ten terraces and open to its visitors including the splendidly furnished rooms and magnificent salons embroidered with priceless artworks. You can reach the island via boat services or motor launch from Verbania, Baveno, Arona and Stresa.
Isola Madre - this is the largest island of the three borromean islands and is occupied by a number of architectural structures and its famously known for its gardens. The island has a magical atmosphere with immense garden of exotic and rare trees where pheasants and peacocks wander. Isola madre leaves its visitors with a memory of well manicured lawns, competently tended trees and flowers with skillfully laid out interiors. From Stresa or Baveno one can get to this island by train or by car
Isola dei Pescatori is the third island among the Borromean Island inhabited all year round though unlike the other two it no longer belongs to the Borromeo family. It’s commonly known for its traditional fishing practice.

A trip to Stresa: useful information

scritto da Dave Mitchell - ultima modifica il 07/01/2020

The sacred mountain of Varallo Sesia

Sacro Monte of Varallo Sesia

Piedmont is the region that, despite having so much to offer, has not yet been discovered by tourists who leave seduce by the best known goals. Yet it is a serious mistake because in Piedmont there are real treasures of human ingenius including the Sacro Monte of Varallo Sesia, an exceptional complex of buildings formed by 43 chapels located along a path that is immersed in the green of a hill above the small town, Varallo.

The foundation of the Sacro Monte is closely linked to the nature and faith of medieval man as well as to the political situation of that era when the pilgrimage in places of worship becomes difficult and dangerous. So from the 15th century projects began to be born whose role is to present to the faithful the facts of the Passion of Christ and give the opportunity to follow his steps without the need to make a tiring and expensive journey to the Holy Land.

This idea finds its expression in the inscription at the entrance to the tomb of Jesus where it is written: Ut hic Jerusalem vidat here wandering nequit — “For here to see Jerusalem who cannot pilgrim you.

Regardless of the religious aspect, Sacro Monte di Varallo is an extraordinary show for art lovers.

The complex of the buildings consists of about fifty chapels with 400 groups of figures and about 4000 figures that appear in the fascinating frescoes by great artists such as Gaudenzio Ferrari, Giulio Cesare Luini, Giovanni and Melchiorre d'Enrico, Michele Prestinari, the Rovere brothers known as “the Flemish”, Antonio d' Enrico called “the Tanzio”, Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli called “the Morazzone” and many others that over the course of a couple of centuries attributed to the birth of this & ldquo; New Jerusalem.”

The Sacro Monte has another interesting aspect: the naturalistic one. The complex itself stands on a rocky threshold that dominates the entire lower Valsesia up to Monte Fenera and, towards no

scritto da Lisabeth Evans - ultima modifica il 31/10/2021

Trip to Verbania, Lake Maggiore, the garden on the lake

Verbania, Market Square

One of the beautiful coastal resorts of Lake Maggiore that brings together all the natural and artistic beauties of the territory is Verbania , born from the union of two municipalities — Pallanza and Intra. In a privileged position, Verbania is located on the right bank of Lake Maggiore and enjoys a particularly temperate climate, boasts a tourism of character international, coming from central Europe, is particularly frequented by Germans and Germans who prefer holidays in prestigious apartments and villas.

From Verbania you can start to discover the treasures of Lake Maggiore such as the three Borromean islands or go to the Val Grande National Park, Monte Rosa and the Ossola Valleys. The city full of greenery and flowers, rhododendrons, azaleas, tulips, camellias are the setting for numerous, elegant residences.

Of the two nuclei that make up Verbania, Pallanza is richer in monuments and points of interest.
The historic center, mainly medieval, is characterized by narrow alleys, dwellings of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as well as elegant eighteenth-century dwellings. To visit in Pallanza: Church of San Remigio, an ancient Romanesque church of the '100, built of stone blocks, inside preserves frescoes; Palazzo Dugnani, 18th-century palace houses the Historical and Artistic Museum of Verbano and Landscape with a collection of paintings and frescoes from the '500 to the '900.

In Pallanza there is the famous Villa Taranto with wonderful gardens where you can admire about a thousand plants and twenty thousand botanical species. It's a real show to see them in the flowering period: the colors and scents of flowers enchant. It is known that the Gardens of Villa Taranto are among the most beautiful in Europe and boast about seven kilometers of avenues. Scottish captain Neil Mc. Eacharn, who had fallen in love with Italy after his first visit, was an important figure in the history of the Verbano gardens. In 1928 the captain purchased a property called La Crocetta with the aim of creating a botanical garden, being he a fan of this discipline and having found in Italy all the favorable conditions for doing so. This property was renamed with the name of Villa Taranto and became one of the most important botanical complexes in the world. The villa cannot be visited and is currently home to the Prefecture of the province of Varbano-Cusio-Ossola. In the gardens, there are different flower species from various parts of the world and can be visited only for a fee. The garden can also be reached by lake. It hosts several events that take place throughout the year, beautiful is the Permanent Exhibition of the Dahlia that takes place inside the Dahlias maze from July to October where more than 1500 plants can be admired.

scritto da Albert Clifford - ultima modifica il 28/08/2022

Carpignano Sesia, Novara — discovering the Ricetto Castle

Ricetto Castle

As usual, I discovered the charm of this small town by pure chance. I was coming back with my best half from Novara and for the umpteenth time we were crossing Carpignano without stopping. But this time I couldn't resist and, and since we had time, I asked for a short stop. Of course, my instincts didn't disappoint me, because it was really worth it.

Carpignano is not a city of art and its historic center is tiny. Parked the car under the canopy (it is also historic because it dates back to the beginning of the last century) we went into the historic center consisting of a small street main and some side alleys. The main street, still covered in pebbles and surrounded by the typical brick and stone houses of Sesia, led us to the Castello — Ricetto, whose core dates back to XI century. And be careful, don't expect a castle with towers and battlements.

To me, who I'm inexperienced, it seemed rather like a typical Italian farmhouse with a nice courtyard surrounded by buildings, dwellings and buildings where cattle were kept and and agricultural products. On one of the side alleys of the ricetto, Vicolo San Martino, overlook the fifteenth-century houses. In another building, a splendid press from 1575 is preserved. It is the oldest specimen of press preserved in Piedmont. I don't know how you are, but I'm always impressed when I see things so ancient. As a result, I also liked the barrels kept in the adjacent room: they were only large, but also old. In this building, the construction of the Museum of Peasant Civilization is planned in the future. Also within the framework of the castle is the church of San Pietro dating back to the 11th century. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the right key to open it and therefore we didn't enter.

And speaking of the keys: generally both the church and the press are open during patronal feasts and other special occasions. But we met a boy who brought us the keys, normally kept by ProLoco or in common, and did a bit of a guide. Always thanks to him we knew about the party that had to start in the evening (in fact we noticed the preparations: the boys who carried or placed the tables on the streets). This is the festival entitled “To the court of the salam d'la duja” dedicated, in fact, to this Piedmontese specialty.

It is the salami made with pork meat and bacon fat that are ground, seasoned and stuffed into the twisted gut of beef. After ripening, they are placed in a bowl called duja and covered with melted lard that keeps them soft for more than a year.And this goodness is the protagonist of three days during which you eat, drink, dance and have fun. We clearly eat not only the duja salami, but also other typical dishes and local products. When we were there, the menu included various cold cuts, paniscia, roast meat, dessert and coffee.

Not to forget the best wines in the area and there are lots of them, believe me. The dinner was accompanied by live music and everything took place in the medieval setting of the streets of Castello Ricetto. Of course it all depends on the weather and that time it wasn't really the best, but we still had a very pleasant evening. However, the festival is not limited only to the gastronomic side: on Sunday the market also takes place and you can also learn about the ancient crafts. I assure you that these days it is worth coming to Carpignano Sesia

scritto da Ralph Christie - ultima modifica il 31/10/2021

Visit Ameno - Tourism and travel tips for your vacation or weekend.

Travel guides and videos

Orta San Giulio (2Km)Island of San Giulio on Lake Orta

Orta San Giulio (2Km)Orta San Giulio, the small town of artists

Orta San Giulio (2Km)Legro — the Painted Country

Madonna del Sasso (5,5Km)Beleto, a hamlet of the Madonna del Sasso

Oleggio Castello (8Km)Castello dal Pozzo - Oleggio Castello

Stresa (12,7Km)A trip to Stresa on Lake Maggiore: places to visit and Borromean Islands

Isola Bella (13,5Km)Isola Bella, the home of the Borromeo

Varallo (14,4Km)The sacred mountain of Varallo Sesia

Verbania (17Km)Trip to Verbania, Lake Maggiore, the garden on the lake

Carpignano Sesia (28,3Km)Carpignano Sesia, Novara — discovering the Ricetto Castle

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