SEPRIO'S VALUE

The Seprio is an area full of historical and artistic examples of the land of Varese. A focal point, since the ancient period in the transit from valleys to the Alps crosses. Political and administrative aspects were strengthened during the roman époque first and the longobards after, it was core of a growing commercial community able to have its own currency, famous cultural and artistic core, with a basic security and land control power. The decline of Castelseprio, the most crucial point, clashed with the hegemonic fights of the Milanese families in the XII century, have hidden partly its original importance. Witnesses of this history and of its heritage are only the ancient castrum of Castelseprio, the marvellous wall paintings of Santa Maria foris portas, Cairate Monastery, but also many evidences that starting from the rinascimental magnificence of Castiglione Olona, through the two Venegoni, up to reach Tradate, make of this Varese area, one of the richest historical and affasinated land.

PLACES: FROM FAITH AND ART CORE TO INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT

Protagonist of the travelcast tour will be Castelseprio and its neighbourhood: the archaeological ruins of the castrum and the monumental presences inside the area. Special attention is dedicated to Santa Maria foris Portas and to its almost impossible wall paintings. From this area, we will move to the near Gornate Olona, where we can find still today the severe simple ruins of the Torba Monastry and of the Madonnetta Sanctuary. Hiking over the Olona Valley, we can find out in detail treasures of Castiglione Olona, sort of ideal city fruit of a patronage enlightened and shrewd: here a museum almost unique as the Map, the fruit of the most recent business dimension, can be visited.
From here it goes back to the valley the Olona towards the Venegoni, another village whose existence is certified at least from the XI century. Of the two Venegoni, divided definitively after the Napoleonic era, will deepen the religious monuments with particular emphasis in the seminar Archbishop Pius XI, seat of an important library and of the Antonio Stoppani museum.
Also the history of Tradate is linked to the area of the Seprio. The one stated at the time of the decline of the other. The itinerary allows you to deepen the testimonies religious to the recent industrial past of the city, now converted into cultural spaces. The tour ends returning back in time, in Cairate, centre of ancient origins, dating back to the III century B.C.. Cairate has its core in the mysterious Benedictine monastery founded in 737 now being in a total architectural and functional recovery.