Comune in Piedmont, Italy
Photo: Hagai Agmon-Snir حچاي اچمون-سنير חגי אגמון-שניר, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Arona is a town near on Lake Maggiore, near its southern end, in the Piedmont region of Italy.
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This giant statue of Saint Charles Borromeo was commissioned by Cardinal Federico Borromeo, and construction began in 1614, completed in 1698. At 35.10 m it was the largest bronze standing statue in the world, second only to the Statue of Liberty. It is said that the architects behind the Statue of Liberty consulted the blueprints of the Sancarlone when laying out their own. The statue was intended as part of a complex of buildings and chapels celebrating the life of St. Charles, of which only three chapels were completed. Next to the statue are the 17th century basilica and the former Archbishop's Palace. A smaller version of the statue, the Sancarlino, can be seen in Corso Cavour in the town.
A park owned by the Borromeo family. The park used to contain the castle of Arona, destroyed by the Napoleonic armies, and was the birthplace of St. Charles Borromeo himself. The park is freely open to the public and is a favourite of many locals; many animals are kept in semi-captivity in various areas of the park.
Lakeside
It offers a fine view of the castle of Angera and the Alps. Swimming in Lake Maggiore is now possible, after years of pollution. A beach has been refurbished by this group close to Piazza del Popolo in the town center, called Le rocchette ("The little rocks").
This 1482 church has paintings of the life of San Carlo Borromeo by Cesare Nebbia.
Arona is 25 km north of Milan's Malpensa International Airport, closer than Milan itself.
Read in the guideLocal bus companies connect Arona to its frazioni of Dagnente, Campagna, Mercurago and Montrigiasco, to other lakeside villages and to neighbouring municipalities.
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Ferno (VA) · International · MXP
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