Orta San Giulio
Member of I Borghi più belli d'Italia
For five centuries Orta was the seat of a small state ruled by the bishops of Novara, and its 1582 Broletto, with frescoed front and stone-slab roof, still stands on Piazza Motta. The car-free town fills the tip of a promontory on Lake Orta, facing the island of San Giulio, reached by boat from the square. Behind it, the UNESCO-listed Sacro Monte tells Saint Francis's life in 21 chapels.
Highlights
- Isola di San Giulio and its Romanesque basilica
- Sacro Monte di Orta: 21 chapels with 370 life-size terracotta statues
- Piazza Motta, lakeside square with a Wednesday market held since 1228
- The cobbled Motta climb to the church of Santa Maria Assunta
- Villa Crespi, a Moorish-style villa with a minaret-like tower
Text adapted from Wikipedia (Orta San Giulio (IT), Orta San Giulio (EN)), Wikivoyage (Orta San Giulio). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Population: 1,047
Things to see
Events through the year
- Feast of Saint Julius
- Feast of the Assumption
Dates follow the traditional patterns in our sources: check locally before you travel.
Adapted from Wikipedia (Orta San Giulio). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Specialities of Piedmont
Typical of the region rather than of this village.
- AgnolottiBread and pasta
- TajarinBread and pasta
- Vitello tonnatoDish
- Brasato al BaroloDish
- CastelmagnoCheese
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.jpg/500px-Vitello_tonnato_(7169906567).jpg)
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Adapted from Wikipedia (Cucina piemontese). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to sleep
29 places to stay within 3 km
- Hotels 15
- B&Bs and guest houses 7
- Campsites 7
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Nearby member villages
- Vogogna · 25 km
- Rassa · 30 km
- Rosazza · 36 km
- Ricetto di Candelo · 36 km
- Borgo il Piazzo · 38 km