Lesa, charming municipality in the province of Novara located on the western shore of Lake Maggiore, an inspiring romantic spot of this wonderful lake basin south of the Motta Rossa and the plain of the Erna stream where a sinuous promontory is formed with a splendid opening that offers incomparable views on the coast of Lombardy.
As historic place Lesa appeared in the archives in 998 despite having previously been a Celtic and Roman settlement. In medieval times this centre was part of the possessions of the influential Visconti and Borrommeo dynasties and later a place loved by the Milanese writer Alessandro Manzoni, often staying in Villa Stampa, residence of his second wife Teresa Borri.
I suggest starting the visit with the beautiful Villa Correnti which belonged to the Senator of the Kingdom of Italy Cesare Correnti who was a great opponent of the Austrian regime and known for being one of the agitators of the Five Days of Milan, his city of residence.
You will then reach Solcio , one of the hamlets of Lesa, where, next to a beautiful marina, you can visit the Parish Church of San Rocco built in the nineteenth century by the architect of Intra Bartolomeo Franzosini, with a bell tower built between 1935 and 1938.
This religious building with neoclassical forms was built at the behest of the philanthropist Felice Borroni, a famous local figure buried in the Church and boasts a beautiful mosaic on the façade by Giovanni Sgorlon depicting the patron saint.
The building developed
on a Greek cross plan in the Ionic order and a nave has valuable works of art
inside such as a Deposition of Christ executed by the great master of
the Varese Morazzone, frescoes in the dome dating back to 1886 by
Girolamo Induno with the four Evangelists as protagonists, a cycle of
frescoes of the Via Crucis by Luigi Morgari who executed in 1886
also the Crucifixion on the altar on the right and a splendid wooden pulpit
on the left side.
In Solcio stands Villa Cavallini, a beautiful residence of the late 700 ceded to the Municipality of Lesa in 1944 and today home to the San Carlo Agricultural Professional Institute with a large park full of centuries-old tall trees and various types of flowers that has become a botanical garden.
The villa boasts a beautiful staircase on the entrance that leads to the central door located at its top and the interior contains a fresco by Luigi Morgari executed in 1924 with Dancing Maidens as protagonists in a scenario that represents the local landscape.
Continuing on the Simplon State Road you will admire Villa Florio, a beautiful residence of the late nineteenth century in neo-Gothic style and then Villa Conelli , a fine example of neoclassical architecture, and then admire on the right side the eighteenth-century Villa Noseda modified in the 800.
At the entrance to the village you will find yourself in front of the Castellaccio of which only the remains remain today and with a history that is still rather enigmatic today.
The building was erected in front of Ranco on a quadrangular perimeter base measuring 50.0 x 50.0 meters, according to some historical documentation it could have been an outpost on the Verbano to control commercial traffic or a sort of customs for the payment of duties in the Visconti or Borromean era.
Observing what remains of the walls reinforced with stones, the virtual reconstruction suggests that it was a building with a central door, to the east in the center a courtyard, on the north-west side there was a quadrangular watchtower and pillars with arches on which a passage for the guards winded.
Fascinating it's the local lakefront, which inspires, calm and serenity, with beautiful views of the wide opening of the marina and extraordinary views of the eastern coast of Lake Maggiore belonging to the Lombardy region and a favorite destination for couples for romantic walks.
Continuation with the nearby Church of San Martino opposite a tree-lined square where there is a beautiful Via Crucis painted by the artist Vanni Rossi in 1936.
The complex boasts a soaring whitish bell tower with a Baroque profile that replaces the previous Romanesque since its construction period is assumed to be between the ninth and tenth centuries.
You can linger on the façade painted by the artist Anselmi with frescoes depicting San Martino between Sant' Ambrogio and San Carlo.
In the interior with three naves and five altars stand out some works attributed to Vermiglio, a wooden pulpit with a snake and an eagle and a bas-relief with the carved image of San Martino alongside San Giorgio and Sant' Antonio Abate as well as a wooden statue of San Martino made in Milan by the Bertarelli brothers sent to this church in 1889.
After admiring the beautiful images of Lake Maggiore from the romantic local port we will enter the village to admire the seventeenth-century Oratory of the Madonna di Campagna with a nave and a portico with four columns completed by a small bell tower.
This religious building was for about 200 years the Sanctuary of Lesa linked to a narrative that was originally built as a chapel by an unknown inhabitant of Belgirate for a vow to Santa Maria Annunziata dell'Angelo after saving himself from a storm on the lake risking drowning.
In the portico we can admire the fresco of the miraculous victim and inside that of the Madonna di Campagna visible on the altar.
Continuation with the Parish Church of San Giorgio and San Giovanni Evangelista erected between 1764 and 1774 on the ruins of an ecclesiastical structure dating back to the eleventh century confirmed by the beautiful adjacent bell tower of Romanesque origin which boasts a beautiful portal in Angera stone on which stands out a lunette representing a famous scene portraying St. George killing the dragon.
Inside you can admire a beautiful baroque altar and a painting made in 1553 by Giovanni Maria de Rumo depicting the Crucifixion of Christ.
The last stop will be Villa Stampa, today the headquarters of the Banca Popolare di Novara, which has kept its original profile, containing memorabilia and objects from the studio of Giulio Carcano, translator of Shakespeare, friend of Alessandro Manzoni, who often went from Milan to Lesa, residence of his second wife Teresa Borri, to meet his friend the philosopher Rosmini, resident in Stresa.
After the visit time for your lunch, I recommend according to the local gastronomic tradition first courses to choose between Tortellini di Magro with Butter and Sage or Risotto with Barolo, second courses to choose between Lake Fry with Mixed Salad or Braised with Seasonal Vegetables.
the visit to Lesa is very attractive, offering notable historical and artistic beauties, breathtaking views of Lake Maggiore and a lakeside promenade with a romantic profile that emanates profound inspirations due to its magnificent position on one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
Link : https://www.comune.lesa.no.it/
Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation
B&B Villa Preziosa Lago Maggiore
Rainbow Relais
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