Description of the attraction
Arona is a small town on Lake Maggiore. The main source of income for local residents is tourism, and most of the tourists come here from Milan, France and Germany.
Archaeological finds made on the territory of modern Arona suggest that this area was inhabited as early as the 18-13th centuries BC. Later it passed from hand to hand - it belonged to the Celts, Romans and Lombards. In the 11th century, the Benedictine abbey of the holy great martyrs Gratian and Felin was founded here. After the siege and destruction of Milan by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1162, many of the city's surviving residents fled to Arona, where they found shelter. Then Arona became the property of the Torriani family, and from 1277 - Visconti. At the beginning of the 14th century, the city received the status of an independent commune. Finally, in 1439, Vitaliano Borromeo acquired it, thus making Arona the possession of his noble and powerful family.
Today Arona is primarily a tourist town with several interesting sights. Among them it is worth highlighting the "Sankarlone" - a giant statue of St. Charles (Charles) Borromeo, the construction of which began in 1614 on the instructions of Cardinal Federico Borromeo, and was completed only in 1698. Reaching 35.1 meters in height, this statue was once the largest bronze statue in the world. Today, its size is second only to the famous Statue of Liberty. They even say that the creators of the Statue of Liberty, when working on it, relied precisely on the drawings of Sankarlone. It was assumed that Sankarlone would be only part of an architectural complex of several buildings and chapels that celebrated the life of St. Charles Borromeo. However, in reality, only three chapels were built. Next to the giant statue is the 17th century basilica and the former Bishop's Palace. A small copy of Sankarlone can also be seen in the main square of Arona - Corso Cavour.
Another attraction of the city is La Rocca Castle, which was once owned by the Borromeo family. It was there that Carl Borromeo was born. The castle was destroyed during the reign of Napoleon, and today its territory has been turned into a public park.
The Lungolago promenade offers a wonderful view of the castle of Angers and the Alps. Swimming in the lake is allowed: next to Piazza del Popolo there is a beach called "Le Rocchette" ("little stones"). And in the urban area of Mercurago, there is Lagoni Park, a protected area with a peat bog and pastures where purebred horses graze. Also in Arona, you can see the church of the Collegiata della Nativita di Maria Vergine from the late 15th century - it contains paintings depicting the deeds of Saint Carl Borromeo.
