Description of the attraction
Varese is an old town in the Italian region of Lombardy, located on the border with Switzerland to the north of Milan. The administrative center of the province of the same name. It stands on the shores of Lake Varese and specializes in the manufacture of footwear.
The first mention of Varese dates back to 922. In the 11-12th centuries the Counts of Lavagna ruled here, and at the end of the 14th century Varese was bought by the Genoese ruler Antoniotto Adorno. Later, the history of the town was closely intertwined with the fate of the Genoese Republic. In 1766, by order of Empress Maria Theresa, the city became the property of Francesco IIId'Este. In the middle of the 19th century, a battle took place in the vicinity of Varese, during which Garibaldi defeated the troops of the Habsburgs. And after joining Italy, the city became a favorite summer vacation spot among residents of northern Italy.
Despite the fact that during the reign of Mussolini Varese was significantly rebuilt, the city has preserved monuments of history and architecture. For example, the Basilica of San Vittore, built in 1580-1615, is notable for its Baroque bell tower and paintings by Lombard artists. Noteworthy is the palace-villa of Francesco d'Este with a magnificent 18th century park. And not far from Varese there are mountain chapels of the 17th century, included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2003 - they have long attracted pilgrims. The chapels are located in the Campo dei Fiori park. In addition, there are many interesting museums in Varese - the archaeological, prehistoric Ponti museum, the modern art museum, the Polyaga house-museum, etc.
