Lake Orta, Northern Italy’s Secret
Getting Away from it All in the Italian Lakes District
Medieval towns and a 4th-century saint meet edgy 21st-century Italian design and luxury lodgings, at a little-known lake in the Piedmont, just west of Lake Maggiore.
Almost forgotten amid the touristic fame of Italy’s “Big Three” lakes -- Como, Maggiore and Garda -- is tiny Lago d’Orta, only about a mile wide and seven miles long. Steep wooded hills rise from the shore, which is dotted by a few small towns.
At the little Medieval town of Orta San Giulio stone buildings enclose the narrow lanes winding down the hill to the waterfront Piazza Motta. At one end of this picturesque square stands the 16th-century Palazzo Communita, built over a loggia and decorated in frescoes. The piazza opens onto the shore, where little boats wait to take visitors across to the lake’s lone island, Isola San Giulio.
Cafes spread out into the open square, their bright umbrellas framing picture-perfect views of the island with its church and monastery. Orta’s main street and promenade, Via Olina parallels the shore, lined with shops and studios. Although it’s popular with tourists, it remains remote from the bustle of the larger lakes.
Many of the town’s visitors come to stroll the paths of Sacro Monte, reached by a steep trail from Piazza Motta. A church and 20 frescoed chapels dedicated to St. Francis d’Assisi lie among beech, lime, and pine trees, and along the paths of this nature reserve are hundreds of terra cotta sculptures showing scenes from his life. Built between 1590 and 1770, this is one of several such mountain shrines in the lakes region. Sacro Monte is a good place for walking, and the local tourist office, in the town hall at the lake shore, has information on other good trails around the lake.
Little Isola San Giulio is almost completely covered in gray stone buildings that cluster around the 12th century Basilica di San Giulio. The story goes that San Guilio chased snakes from the island in the fourth century to build his church there. The saint is buried in the crypt, and the church is a treasury of art from the 9th to the 12th century, including several good frescoes, intricate columns and a marble pulpit covered in carved animal designs.
From the church, follow the island’s only street, the Via del Silenzio, around the convent. Signs remind visitors that on the island, silence is highly valued. It’s a moody, contemplative place, and you can peek into the convent garden through narrow stepped passageways.
At the northern end of the lake is the somewhat less picturesque town of Omegna, where there is a Thursday market. But shoppers dedicated to cutting edge Italian design will bypass this for Forum di Omegna and its collections of locally made household goods by the several cookware companies headquartered in the area. Foremost among these is the legendary Alessi,whose dedication to fine design extends even to the factory building itself, designed by architects Alessandro and Francesco Mendini. The Alessi factory store is a glittering museum of Alessi’s current designs, at discounted prices.
A seventeenth-century convent at the edge of the lake in Orta San Giulio has been converted into a luxurious hotel, Albergo San Rocco ,with a restaurant to match. Be sure to reserve ahead for a table, and enjoy such dishes as pheasant stuffed with foie gras and black truffles.
