Novara Attractions

Novara is surrounded by a ring of attractive boulevards on the line of the old fortifications. In the center of the town, in the arcaded Via Fratelli Rosselli, stands the cathedral, built between 1865 and 1869 in place of an earlier church. The relief on the main altar is by Thorwaldsen. It has an attractive cloister, entered from the south aisle. There is an important museum, the Museo Lapidario and to the west of the cathedral, opposite the imposing entrance court is a fifth century baptistery, with 10th century frescoes.

North of the cathedral in Novara, reached by way of the beautiful courtyard of the Broletto (Municipal Museum and Art Gallery), is the Corso Italia, one of the town's two main traffic arteries (the other being the Corso Cavour).

West of the cathedral in Novara is the large Piazza Martiri della Libertà, with the Teatro Coccia and the Palazzo del Mercato (1840). On the south side is the rebuilt Castello Sforzesco, once the residence of the ruling Milanese princes.

A little way north of the Broletto, at the end of Via Gaudenzio Ferrari, the church of San Gaudenzio (by Pellegrino Tibaldi, 1577) has a prominent dome (1875-78). Inside are some fine frescoes, a wooden crucifix by Gaudenzio Ferrari and a painting of St Gaudenzio by Pelagio Palagi (c. 1830). Note also the silver sarcophagus of St Gaudenzio, patron saint of Novara.

At Santa Maria begins the ascent, with Stations of the Cross, to the Sacro Monte (608m/2,006ft). On the summit of the hill are 44 chapels with painted terracotta groups and frescoes depicting scenes from the scriptural story; in the 38th chapel is a Crucifixion by Gaudenzio Ferrari.

9km/5.5 mi south of Magenta in Abbiategrasso (120m/396ft; pop. 27,000) stands the fine parish church of San Maria Nuova (façade by Bramante, 1497).

36km/22mi beyond Varallo, beautifully situated at the head of the Sesia valley, is Alagna Valsesia, from which a cableway (20minutes) runs up via Zaroltu (1,825m/6,023ft) and the Bocchetta delle Pisse (2,406m/7,940ft) to the Punta Indren (3,260m/10,758ft), a southern outlier of Monte Rosa.

31km/19mi east of Novara is Magenta (138m/455ft; pop. 24,000), scene of the famous battle on June fourth 1859 in which the French and Piedmontese defeated the Austrians, who thereupon withdrew from Lombardy (church of San Martino, built in 1903 to commemorate the victory; charnel-house).

There is a very attractive drive (northwest) up the Sesia valley to Varallo Sesia (450m/1,485ft; pop. 8,000), charmingly situated in the Pre-Alps at the mouth of the narrow valley of the Mastallone, the birthplace of the painter Gaudenzio Ferrari (c. 1480-1546). The collegiate church of San Gaudenzio is picturesquely situated on a crag and another fine church, the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, has frescoes by Gaudenzio Ferrari (1507-13).

12km/7mi southwest of Abbiategrasso is Vigevano (116m/383ft; pop. 66,000). In the Piazza Ducale, the central square designed by Bramante, are arcades which still preserve remains of their Early Renaissance decoration. Other features of interest are the 16th century cathedral, the Visconti castle, rebuilt by Bramante and da Vinci in 1491-94, and the Church of San Pietro Martire with a fine campanile.