Arona, Italy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Comune di Arona
Municipal coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Piedmont
Province	Novara (NO)
Mayor	Antonio Catapano (since April 5, 2005)

Elevation	212 m
Area	14 km²
Population
- Total (as of December 31, 2004)	14,413
- Density	1,022/km²
Time zone	CET, UTC+1
Coordinates	45°45′N 08°33′E
Gentilic	Aronesi
Dialing code	0322
Postal code	28041
Frazioni	Dagnente, Mercurago, Montrigiasco, Campagna
Patron	St. Gratian
- Day	March 13
Website: www.comune.arona.no.it

Arona, Italy is a town of about 14,500 inhabitants on Lake Maggiore, in the province of Novara (northern Italy). Its main economic activity is tourism, especially from Milan, France and Germany.

Largo Garibaldi in winter. The castle in the background is Angera.

1 History
2 Main sights
3 Transportation
4 Surrounding municipalities
5 Twin cities
6 External links

[edit] History

Archaeological findings have shown that the area of what today is Arona was settled since the 18th-13th centuries BC. Later it was a possession of the Celts, the Romans and Lombards.

In the 11th century the Benedictine abbey of St. Gratianus and Felinus Martyrs was founded.

After the destruction of Milan in 1162 by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, many of the exiled took refuge in Arona.

Later the city was a possession of the Torriani and (from 1277) of the Visconti. In the early 14th century the city became a free commune under the suzerainty of the abbey. In 1439 it was acquired by the Borromeo family.

[edit] Main sights

Arona's main attractions include:

the so-called Sancarlone, a giant statue of Saint Charles Borromeo begun in 1614 by will of Federico Borromeo. Its height of 35.10 m makes it second only to the Statue of Liberty in size worldwide. Since this statue was finished in 1698, and the Statue of Liberty in 1886, the Sancarlone has been the largest statue in the world for a longer time. It was intended as part of a complex of edifice and chapels celebrating the life of St. Charles, of which only three chapels were completed. Next to the statue are the 17th basilica and the former Archbishop Palace. A smaller version of the state, the Sancarlino, can be seen in the Corso Cavour of the city.
La Rocca ("The Castle") is a park owned by the Borromeo family. The park used to be Arona's castle, destroyed by the Napoleonic armies, and was the birthplace of St. Charles Borromeo himself. The park has always been open to the public for free and is a favourite of many locals; many animals are kept in semi-captivity in various areas.

The famous Sancarlone, a giant statue of St. Charles Borromeo.

The Lungolago ("Lakeside") offers a fine view of Angera's castle and the Alps. Swimming in Lake Maggiore is now possible, after years of pollution and mismanagement, thanks also to the effort of voluntary organizations as Amici del Lago ("The lake's friends"). A beach has been refurbished by this group close to Piazza del Popolo in the city center, called Le rocchette ("The little rocks"). The area is however not guarded and swimming is one's personal responsibility.
The church of the Collegiata della Natività di Maria Vergine (1482).

The fraction of Mercurago is home to the Lagoni Park, a protected area including a peat-bog, pastures dedicated to the breeding of thoroughbred horses and a woodland area. There are also some archeological findings from the Bronze Age were made, including ancient wheels.

[edit] Transportation

Arona is very close to Milan's Malpensa International Airport, actually closer than Milan itself. It is also reasonably well connected to the railway network, being one of the main stops in the important link between Milan and Switzerland that passes also by Domodossola (another parallel link travels through Como). Arona is also the last station for two minor rail lines, connecting Arona to Novara and Santhià; the latter uses single-car diesel trains.

Due to the town's size there is no public transport, but some bus companies connect the city to its fractions of Dagnente, Campagna, Mercurago and Montrigiasco, and to neighbouring municipalities.

Arona is near a confluence in motorways, and from there one can head for Milan, Gravellona Toce (where the motorway becomes a simpler highway to Domodossola and continues into Switzerland), and Genoa. Whereas there is a motorway exit named after Arona, Castelletto Ticino's exit is usually more convenient for the traveller coming from Milan's direction.

The headquarters of the Navigazione del Lago Maggiore (Lake Maggiore's ship transportation company) are located in Arona, along with their shipyard. Arona is the southernmost port in Lake Maggiore, and transportation by boat or hydrofoil is available to both sides of the lake up to the Swiss city of Locarno.