Arona, Piedmont

Arona
Comune
Città di Arona

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

Coat of arms
Arona

Location of Arona in Italy

Coordinates: IT 45°45′N 08°33′E / 45.750°N 8.550°E / 45.750; 8.550Coordinates: IT 45°45′N 08°33′E / 45.750°N 8.550°E / 45.750; 8.550
Country Italy
Region Piedmont
Province Novara (NO)
Frazioni Campagna, Dagnente, Mercurago, Montrigiasco
Government
  Mayor Alberto Gusmeroli (since March 30, 2010) (LN)
Area
  Total 14.90 km2 (5.75 sq mi)
Elevation 212 m (696 ft)
Population (31 December 2010)
  Total 14,547
  Density 980/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Aronesi
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 28041
Dialing code 0322
Patron saint Sts. Felinus and Gratian
Saint day March 13
Website Official website
The famous Sancarlone, a giant statue of St. Charles Borromeo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arona.

Arona (Italian pronunciation: [aˈroːna]; Aruna [aˈruna] in Western Lombard) is a town and comune on Lake Maggiore, in the province of Novara (northern Italy). Its main economic activity is tourism, especially from Milan, France and Germany.

History

Archaeological findings have shown that the area of what today is Arona was settled from the 18th13th centuries BC. Later it was a possession of the Celts, the Romans and the Lombards.

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

After the siege and 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 families. In the early 14th century the city became a free commune under the suzerainty of the abbey. In 1439 it was acquired by Vitaliano Borromeo and, as a result, the House of Borromeo.

Main sights

Arona's main attractions include:

The frazione of Mercurago is home to 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, including ancient wheels.

Transport

Train station

Arona is 25 kilometres (16 miles) north of Milan's Malpensa International Airport, actually closer than Milan itself. It is also connected to the railway network, being one of the main stops in the important link between Milan and Switzerland that passes Domodossola (another parallel link travels through Como). Arona is also the last station for two minor rail lines, connecting Arona to Novara and to 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 frazioni of Dagnente, Campagna, Mercurago and Montrigiasco, and to neighbouring municipalities.

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

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

Surrounding municipalities

Twin towns – Sister cities

Arona is twinned with:

External links

Arona travel guide from Wikivoyage


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, March 03, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.