Novazzano is a Swiss municipality located in the district of Mendrisio in the Canton of Ticino, on the border with Italy, a short distance from the Italian municipalities of Uggiate, Trevano and Faloppio, belonging to the province of Como, in a hilly area at 345 meters of altitude, rich in dense wooded areas and green slopes.
Historically, this locality was mentioned in historical documents in the year 875 mentioning a character called Baltardo de Nepotiano, a member of the De Novenzano family, although in the area of the current hamlet of Castel di Sotto an altar from the Roman era was found a long time before, even with an Etruscan settlement before the colonization of Rome in 196 BC.
Territory belonging to the County of Seprio, in present-day Lombardy, in the Middle Ages Novazzano was mentioned for the first time as a municipality in 1335, becoming an autonomous parish in 1567, detaching itself from the religious and political authority of the influential Parish of Balerna, which had strong ties with Como and then with the Visconti Duchy.
I recommend starting the visit with the Parish Church of Saints Quirico and Giulitta, a religious building of medieval origin dating back to the 13th century when it was called the Church of San Giovanni and Quirico and mentioned in historical documents for the first time in 1330.
The current building, rebuilt between 1776 and 1779 with a renovation that took place in the two-year period 1998 / 1999, shows a Baroque profile but retains the Romanesque clock tower dating back to the 11th century located on the right side of the central body.
Continuation entering the hamlet of Boscherina in a wooded area characterized by gentle slopes where its vineyards stand out that produce quality wines such as Nerone, Titanus, Boscherina and Bianco Smeraldino produced from Merlot grapes where the Church – Oratory of the Blessed Virgin is located.
With a sober appearance with its late Baroque forms , the plan is central with a cup-vaulted roof and a quadrangular choir completed in 1819 with a portico made by the architect Pierluigi Fontana.
The building restored in 1975 and 2005 has inside a hall with pilasters under the cornice and a presbytery enlivened by a marble balustrade with a late - neoclassical profile and a marble altar on the wall, a statue of San Rocco made in the 19th century located on the right side of the nave while on the left side you can see another sculpture representing Sant'Agata developed at the beginning of the 20th century.
Of particular importance are a fresco dating back to the 16th century depicting St. Bernard of Chiaravalle and a Madonna del Latte and valuable stuccoes in rococo style dated 18th century.
Continue entering the hamlet of Castel di Sotto which consists of the oldest nucleus of Novazzano when it was denominated Castrum Luptus Castellum located upstream of the Roncaglia Valley where there is the Oratory of the Holy Trinity dating back to the 13th century and finally completed in the 18th century.
The building, which is in a Romanesque-Baroque architectural style, retains a semicircular Romanesque apse, developed between the 12th and 13th centuries, probably on another pre-existing building, while the bell gable was erected in the 18th century, when the Baroque in Switzerland was becoming predominant.
Inside of great importance are an altarpiece depicting the Coronation of the Virgin made in 600, work attributed to the workshop of the painter Francesco Torriani, artist very active in the areas of Mendrisio and Lugano, an oil painting on canvas depicting the Ecstasy of Saint Rose of Lima dating from the end of the 16th century, a splendid wall altar in Arzo marble developed in the 20th century and valuable stuccoes from the early 18th century by Agostino Silva.
Subsequently, in another hamlet of Novazzano called Brusa, birthplace of the famous architect Carlo Fontana very active in Rome, an area that is characterized by stately homes that alternate with old rural farmhouses, you can visit the Oratory of Saints Bartholomew and Bernard of Chiaravalle, built in 1582 and reformed between 1671 and 1679 in Baroque style in a restoration commissioned by Bernardo Fontana.
The building with simple but well-marked lines has a façade in two orders of paired pilasters surmounted by a triangular pediment with some frescoes of the 600 depicting Saints Bartholomew and Bernard.
The structure was developed with a single nave that ends with the choir and is flanked by a bell gable.
The interior boasts remarkable artistic masterpieces such as an altarpiece depicting the Madonna del Latte with Titular Saints present in the main altar, four canvases on the walls depicting the Martyrdom of St. Apollonia, The Alms of St. Philip Neri both dating back to the 17th century, Jesus Christ in the Temple and the Adoration of the Magi executed in the 18th century.
Novazzano is a splendid destination for all those who love an active holiday, cycling, mountain biking, trekking along the Italian-Swiss border between woods and hills with other attractions such as the Motta Valley Park famous for its sea clay deposits dating back to the Pliocene.
In the hilly area of Novazzano, which offers wonderful views at the foot of the magnificent Lepontine Alps, there are also species of rare amphibians such as the Lataste frog, known for its reddish brown color and dark stripes.
The visit of Novazzano in addition to all this is highly recommended for all those who love gastronomy and wines and make this place a starting point for an excellent tailor made tour with radial excursions in Canton Ticino and nearby Italy.
Link : https://www.ticino.ch/en/commons/details/Novazzano/142001.html
Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation
Hotel Locanda dei Mulini
GioiAcasa
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