A TOUR OF NOVARA

Why Novara?
This city maintains its human dimension, where tradition and history come together in an old centre that resembles a 19th-century parlour and is dominated by the dome of San Gaudenzio, Alessandro Antonelli’s masterpiece. Novara is situated 101 kilometres from Turin, 50 from Milan and originated in ancient times. In the Middle Ages it lived through major political upsets (subjugated by, among others, Federico Barbarossa in 1154) and in the 16th century came under Spanish control. Following the French Revolution, under Napoleon it became the capital of the Department of the Agogna and, in 1814, returned to Savoy rule. Defeat at the battle of 23rd March 1849 marked the beginning of the Italian Risorgimento. The city and surrounding area offer first class hotels and numerous restaurants, trattoria and agritourism centres – temples of cuisine and tradition. 
 

 
A tour of Novara.
This starts from the Roman walls , seen in Piazza Cavour, near the station and the church of San Gaudenzio , named after the city’s patron saint who is celebrated on 22nd January. The spectacular dome, dating from 1888 and 121 metres high, with its gilded statue of the Saviour dominates the city. The Broletto , with the old town hall, is the ancient heart of the city and now houses the Civic Museum with its art collections (and the Giannoni Gallery) and archaeological finds. Not far away, in Via Gaudenzio Ferrari, Palazzo Faraggiana is home to the recently reopened Museum of Natural History. Also visit the neo-classical Duomo built by Antonelli and with a fine mosaic floor (12th C.) in the presbytery and some furnishings and paintings from the previous romanesque cathedral. Behind the Duomo and Palazzo Vescovile, the four-sided portico of the Canonica houses a rich collection of epigraphs in the new Lapidary. The castle was built in the 14th century and is now surrounded by a large park with, nearby, the 19th-century Palazzo Orelli , today the stock exchange, the Coccia Theatre , formerly considered “the antechamber to the Scala”, and Palazzo Gallarini , home of the Conservatory.
Not far away is the Barriera Albertina inaugurated in 1837, once the guard and toll house at the end of the highway from Vercelli, now Via XX Settembre, with Casa Bottacchi and the art nouveau Casa Fiorentini . Also of interest are the church of San Marco , the church of Sant’Eufemia , the church of San Pietro al Rosario with a painted cycle by Fiammenghino of 1637, the church of Ognissanti and Casa Della Porta .
Outside the centre, a visit should be made to the Abbey of San Nazzaro della Costa (15th C. church and adjacent monastery) with its fine religious frescoes and the Piramide Ossario Bicocca , commemorating the battle of the Risorgimento fought on 23rd March 1849.
In the countryside around Novara are rice-paddies, farms, castles and ancient country churches, the River Ticino Park and, not far away, lakes Orta and Maggiore.

 
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