10.13.05
Varese , Italian Lakes
Varese , Italian Lakes
Varese is one of the smallest and most beautiful provinces in Italy. In the Southern part of the province lies Angera, a very important center in the Roman period, at first property of the bishops in Milano, and later property of the Visconti family who built the present structure to the fortress. A few miles from Angera is the Monastery of Santa Caterina Del Sasso, whose uniqueness lies in the fact that it is built in the rocks on the lake Maggiore. Then there is Arcumeggia which is a little village between the Valcuvia and Valceresio, known over the world as “the frescoes’ gallery in the open”. Its cultural and artistic history is told on the walls of the houses by some of the most famous Italian painters. Finally ,we have Castiglione Olona, where one leaves Lombardy and discovers a little corner of Tuscany. Owned by Tuscan Cardinal Castiglioni, Castiglione Olona was recreated according to the new spirit of the fifteenth Century. The whole village keeps alive some historical traditions such as tournaments and so on. There is nothing like a visit to the Sunday morning markets to get a real taste of Italy and her cultural history and traditions. The contemporary landscape of Varese and its surrounding province has not undergone much change, but what may seem like a rural and agrarian community in fact housed some of the richest families in Italy. At the end of the X Century, the presence of the Longobards was decreasing, and families such as the Bianchi, the Patarini,and the Castiglioni among others reestablished their power through the reaffirmation of a feudal society. At the same time, Varese attracted, because of its extraordinary location, many merchants and tradesmen. Varese began to shine again. To this day Varese is therefore also referred to as Cittá Giardino because the many beautiful villa’s that in some cases still belong to the new generation of families, cover vast areas throughout the entire city. Thus, Varese has a lot of beautiful green spots and open grounds. These places are close to the heart of the natives as almost everybody has the memory of having learned to take the first steps in one of these gardens. The most popular, and most interesting is no doubt the Giardino Estensi in imitation of the gardens of Scönbrunn in Vienna. There is also the Villa Mirabello garden and the Villa Toeplitz park at Saint’ Ambrogio. Although there are many others, the largest is the Campo dei Fiori , as it covers the Sacro Monte and the hills and woods all around the province of Varese.
Italian Lakes Tourist Information Guides – Tourism in Varese.
