Attractions and Places To See around Pieve Vergonte - Top 20

Saint Francis of Assisi, whose 800th anniversary of death we celebrate this year, describes our Christian life with the words of the Apostle Peter: he reminds us that we are called to »follow in the footsteps of Christ, who called his betrayer friend and voluntarily handed himself over to his crucifiers« (cf. NbR XXII, 2; cf. 1 Pt 2:21). The Poverello encourages us to fix our gaze on Jesus: »Let us all, brothers, pay attention to the Good Shepherd, who, to save his sheep, suffered the torment of the cross« (Erm VI). Therefore, on this Way of the Cross, let us accept Saint Francis' invitation to follow in Jesus' footsteps, not just ritually or intellectually, but with our whole being and our whole life: »Offer yourselves in body and carry his holy cross and follow his most holy commandments to the end« (Off XV 13). (from the introduction to the Way of the Cross meditation with the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, in the Roman Colosseum on April 3, 2026)

Fortification of the First World War, arrival point of the Cadorna Line of Ornavasso at 400m above sea level

Fortification of the First World War commissioned by General Cadorna, with permanent trenches that can be visited

"Lagh da Margözz" in the Ossola dialect, this fascinating body of water is located in the Lepontine Alps and owes its name to the municipality that overlooks it. Here, also thanks to the clarity of its waters, water sports such as canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing are practiced.

From a Celtic and Roman sanctuary to the Matarella fortress and a Capuchin monastery, this spiritual place tells an amazing story.

Picturesque lake, I personally prefer it to the nearby Lake Maggiore. Some wonderful photos come out here.

In 1656, two Capuchins chose the hill of Colle Mattarella, above Domodosso, to make it a place of pilgrimage. Twelve chapels were built, each with a statue or fresco depicting the Stations of the Cross, with an additional chapel depicting the Resurrection of Christ. At the top of Colle Mattarella stands the octagonal Sanctuary of the Holy Cross, the construction of which began in 1657. In the park of the Sacro Monte di Domodossola are the remains of the Mattarella Castle, destroyed in 1415 by Swiss soldiers who wanted to conquer the Ossola Valley and take it from the Duchy of Milan. In 1656, two Capuchins from the Domodossola monastery, Father Gioacchino from Cassano and Father Andrea from Rho, decided to have Stations of the Cross built on the slopes of Colle Mattarella, leading to a church dedicated to the Holy Cross. It was planned to gradually replace the crosses with chapels for the individual Stations of the Cross. Bishop Guido Maria Odescalchi commissioned the legal scholar Giovanni Matteo Capis to coordinate the project and named the hill Monte Calvario ("Calvary"), as the places of worship of the Sacri Monti ("holy mountains") were intended to symbolize the sites in the Holy Land that many pilgrims could not or could no longer reach. The construction work and the technical implementation were entrusted to the architect Tomaso Lazzaro from the Val d'Intelvi. The foundation stone for the pilgrimage site was laid on July 8, 1657, and in March 1662 the first Holy Mass was celebrated at the altar on which a crucifix by Dionigi Bussola had just been erected. A great benefactor and financier of the project was Kaspar Stockalper, a merchant, notary and governor from the Valais who was forced into exile in Domodossola, directly on Monte Calvario, where his figure embodies St. Gaspar, one of the Three Kings, in the 15th chapel of the Sacro Monte. The project to build the chapels was completed in the course of the 18th century; their furnishings have been constantly restored or renewed since then; the most recent statues, from 1957, are carved in wood. Source and further information: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacro_Monte_di_Domodossola

The hill of Mattarella, south of Domodossola, rises on the plain of the Ossola Valley at an altitude of 413 metres. From the hill you can enjoy a splendid view of Domodossola and the mountains that frame the Ossola Valley around the city. Inhabited in ancient times, the hill probably takes its name from a pagan site for the Matrons, on which and around which a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary was later built. The hill of Mattarella was occupied by the military in the 7th century and housed a sprawling castle that was attacked and destroyed several times over the centuries. In 1014, Emperor Henry II transferred the castle to the church in Novara and the Bishop of Novara moved his palace and curia here. In 1312 the Visconti came to power in the Ossola Valley: the Mattarella Castle also became the property of the Duchy of Milan and retained its functions, especially the military ones, until 1415, when the Swiss, coming from the Alpine passes to conquer the Ossola Valley, practically demolished it completely, destroying the Bishop's Palace, the enclosure and the main towers. After these dramatic events, only a few traces of the old fortress remain today: the tower on the top of the mountain rises majestically above them. The long curtain wall is also well preserved. Unfortunately, only a few foundations remain of the rest of the castle, and especially of the sturdy towers at the entrance. Source: https://www.visitossola.it/de/poi/huegel-und-burg-mattarella-domodossola/