Top 6 Castles around Briga Novarese

Spectacular view of the city of Arona and Lake Maggiore

Once you arrive in Arona, walk along the lakeside and have an ice cream, go up to visit the statue of S. Carlone but... don't forget to visit the Rocca too! Founded in a period shortly before the year 1000 under the control of the Lombards, for four centuries the Rocca remained in the hands of the Borromeo family, giving birth to Cardinal San Carlo Borromeo in 1538; the history of the Rocca di Arona ends in 1800 when the Napoleonic army received the order to destroy some fortifications occupied by the Austrians; from that moment on only a few ruins of the Rocca di Arona remain. From above you can also enjoy a spectacular view of Arona below, of Angera opposite and of this entire stretch of lake!

Ottone Visconti, elected archbishop of Milan by Pope Urban IV in 1262, but not by the Major Chapter of the cathedral, was not able to take possession of his seat until 1277, after the victory obtained in Desio over the enemies of the Tower. In 1280, as the owner of Angera – assigned to the Milanese Church since 1162 – he had a Hall of Justice built in the Rocca, where legal and economic matters were administered. With a masterly coup, his nephew and Lord of Milan Matteo Visconti had the archiepiscopal archives (kept in the monastery of S. Radegonda) burned, with the papers regarding the possession of Angera by the Milanese Church, and claimed the inheritance of the place as a personal domain of the Viscontis, by virtue of a legendary descent of their lineage from Angleria. Between 1314 and 1316, Matteo commissioned a local fresco painter, no better known than the Maestro di Angera, to decorate the Hall of Justice with episodes of the victory of Desio and the entry of Ottone Visconti into Milan, taken from an apologetic book written by Stefanardo da Vimercate. Above the stories is the Zodiac, now only partially preserved, but with an iconographic program that can still be reconstructed. When Matteo commissioned the frescoes, the lawyers and judges of the Ambrosian Church no longer met in the Hall, but the Rocca had by then become a private seat. Why did Matteo want to decorate it so expensively? The Hall of Justice is divided into two bays with cross vaults; it is accessed through a door on the south side, in front of which was originally the judge's chair. Each side of the span enclosed two zodiac signs with their respective governing planet in a lunette, framed by a polychrome decoration – which extended to the cordoning of the sails – among the best preserved of the Lombard fourteenth century. Another peculiarity are the monstrous or extravagant figures that surround only the lunette of the second western span, taken from illustrations of naturalistic texts, such as the De natura rerum by Thomas de Cantimpré. https://www.storiadimilano.it/arte/zodiaco_angera.htm

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.

Still very well preserved - great panoramic view

on sunny days, excellent view of Lake Orta

Perfect for a picnic

From the town, a somewhat steep footpath leads upwards. It is marked at the entrance with a red Rocco sign. At the top, in La Corte della Rocchetta, there is the opportunity to eat and drink.