ARCHITECTURAL AND ARTISTIC ROUTES
The territory of Baveno is an area rich in history, traditions and culture. There are plenty of archaeological, artistic and architectural testimonies: from the findings of the ‘neolithic’ age (2500-1800 B.C.) in Feriolo, important and thriving commercial harbour, both on the lake and on the river, linking the Ossola Valley and the territories on the other side of the Alps to the capitals of Lombardy and the maritime centres of Venice and Genoa; to the remains of the Roman age documented by tombstones and discoveries found in the necropolis (I-II centuries A.D.), with domestic and funerary furnishings, arms, bronze and golden coins (IV-V centuries A. D.) to the Roman architecture witnessed in the monumental complex of the Provostal Church in the centre of Baveno. The quarrying of the precious pink granite started in the XVI century, while the architecture of the XVII and XVIII centuries is represented by churches and numerous devotional chapels, linked one to the other by quiet walks that offer wonderful panoramic views. In the XIX century, the development of important commercial routes like the opening of the carriage road of the Simplon (1807), wanted by Napoleon to link Paris to Milan and the launch of the first steamboats (1826) with on-board restaurants for tourist navigation of Lake Maggiore transformed Baveno into a ‘post-city’ where stage-coaches headed. The privileged geographical position of Baveno, the first city onto the lake for people arriving from Northern Europe and the last for those returning back home passing through the Simplon Pass, and the many attractions it offers to those who, according to a local journal, ‘tired of travelling, stop at the hotels for some days to enjoy the fresh air and the wonderful view’, make of it a perfect place for a break. The strengthening of the railway linking Genoa and Turin, the completion of the railway Novara-Domodossola (1888) and in 1906 the opening of the Simplon tunnel, directly linking Lake Maggiore with Switzerland, definitely inserted Baveno in the circuit of international tourism.
THE STREET OF THE HAMLETS
Baveno, its old town and hamlets should be visited on foot, to appreciate the architectural elements and the landscape. The itinerary passing through the hamlets of Roncaro, Romanico, Feriolo and Loita shows extraordinary landscapes and magnificent views of the Lake Major. Fountains, wash-houses, arches, decorations, narrow and winding alleys, small squares, chapels and votive paintings, courtyards with porches and houses close to each other intertwine in a magical interplay of volumes that offer views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. Routes practicable on foot and carriage roads link sites of major historical, architectonical and naturalistic importance and wind along woods, gardens and beautiful villas, opening up to panoramic views of the lake and the mountains.
NATURE AND SPORTS
Lakes, rivers, hills and mountains offer an ideal background to spend days in the open air among nature and sports. In every season, Baveno offers, beyond the pleasantness of the stay, many excursions by water or by ground, to discover the natural heritage and the possibility of practising numerous sports and recreational activities like trekking, mountain bike, golf, horse-riding, sailing, canoeing, scuba-diving, water skiing and fishing. For winter sports (alpine descents and snowboarding) you can go to the top of the Mottarone mountain.
THE GRANUM MUSEUM
The museum space called “Granum”, located in the old Municipal Hall, is a multi-medial and multi-sensorial experience dedicated to pink granite and its historical and economic importance for Baveno. The museum also documents the variety of sites where granite is quarried and processed as well as the routes it takes within the territory of the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.
