The hometown of Saint Charles Borromeo, overlooks the imposing Rocca di Angera.
The guided tour starts from the joyful POPOLO SQUARE; the ancient market square, heart of the ancient village. Here you will visit the church “Santa Maria di Loreto”, with the reproduction of the Virgin Mary’s house. Next to the church lies the fourteenth-century Court house “Broletto” in typical Lombard Gothic style. From here you will cross, with your guide, the pedestrian CAVOUR street, full of shops and café bars.
The visit continues in SAN GRAZIANO SQUARE, with its ancient library building in red brick, the archaeological museum with the relics of the area and the oldest church of Arona, dedicated to martyrs FELINO E GRAZIANO.
The guided tour continues to the courtyard and the church of Mary; a real jewel that preserves six valuable seventeenth-century paintings, that represent the Virgin’s life and mysteries, masterpieces of Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli, you will also discover the polyptych of Gaudenzio Ferrari, dated 1511.
At the end you will go to the sacred mountain, to admire the second highest copper and bronze statue of the world, the Saint Charles statue 35m high; called by the locals “UL SAN CARLUN" .
The adjacent church is dedicated to Saint Charles. Very interesting to see, on the back of the main altar, the reconstruction of the room, where Saint Charles Borromeo was born, his wooden sedan chair, the reliquary with his saint relics, and the model of the Cathedral of Milan.
The visit of the city has no entry costs.
For info about admission ticket to access the Saint Charles statue: https://www.statuasancarlo.it/orari-e-biglietti/