ONE HOUR ITINERARY

Gornate Olona
Cairate
Venegono Superiore - Venegono Inferiore

Gornate Olona
To the discovery of the sole Gothic Tower perfectly preserved

The historical events of Gornate Olona interweave and since ancient times with those of Contado of Seprio. On the border of the town of Gornate Olona with that of Castelseprio on the slopes of the famous hill so much a part he played in historical vicissitudes of Seprio, rises the Monastery of Torba. It was originally built as military complex of which today remains witness the Tower, in Italy the sole Gothic Tower, kept in good condition, and for almost all his height.

The complex, in the following centuries, became inoperative from the military point of view so that in the early years of the VIII century among the Longobard age and Franca era, a community of Benedictine nuns settled and founded the Monastery of Santa Maria of Torba. After the fall of the fortress of Castelseprio took place in 1287, the place became more and more desolate and lonely so that, in 1426, also the nuns quit the monastery. Since then Torba was inhabited only by farmers who abandoned the place only around the 1970. After seven years of neglect, the complex was purchased by the Fund for the environment ITALIAN (FAI) and, restored, was reopened to the public in 1986. Today can be visited the tower where an important cycle of frescoes of hand unknown represents an example of hieratic vision opposed to naturalism equally mysterious origin in Santa Maria foris Portas.

Cairate
From Manigunda to Barbarossa, the land of legends

The town boasts very ancient origins, dating back even to the III century B. C. when it was founded by the Celts insubri. In the Longobarda era, in 737, the noble Pavese Manigunda founded the Benedictine Monastery of Santa Maria Assunta, intended to be one of the most powerful of northern Italy - witness the attendance important artistic - and deleted in 1801, with the arrival of Napoleon. In recent years, the building, acquired by the province of varese was subjected a complex work of restoration still in progress. In the nearness of the monastery can be visited also the church of San Martino and the Sanctuary of origin 1200s entitled to the Madonna di San Calimero in cities bolladello, in a privileged position from the point of view panoramic and in the centre of a legend that it wants the Barbarossa has hidden near its treasury.

Venegono Superiore - Venegono Inferiore
Evidences of the XVII century and the imposing Seminary

The path moves from the convent of Comboni Missionaries, built where once stood the original Castrum of Venegono Superiore; from there it descends towards the Church of Santa Maria where it is still visible the ancient bell tower seventeenth-century and the fresco of the Madonna Assunta in Cielo whose style reminds Bernardino Luini. From here, following via Rome to reach the parish church of San Giorgio from which we continue along Via busti up to the church of Santa Caterina. Along the road to Venegono Inferiore meets the Church of San Martino at the cemetery, dating back to perhaps at first 1200, and built with all probability as shelter for wayfarers then transformed in the oratory. Reached Venegono Inferiore is possible to visit the Seminary Archbishop Pius XI, built on a light offshore from which dominates the town of Venegono Inferiore. The white outline of the complex stands so against the sky leaving the visitor breathless. Inside there is this the Museum Antonio Stoppani that preserves the spectacular collection by the priest scholar Antonio Stoppani, Director of the Civic Museum of Natural History of Milan, divided into four sections: zoology, paleontology, mineralogy and petrography, and the library which  holds, other than many modern texts, more than 770 manuscripts of inestimable value. The Basilica, entitled to the Lord Jesus, the wisdom of the Father, imitates in the architecture the ancient Christian churches. Divided into three naves, of which the central one ending with a presbytery covered by dome and followed by un'abside, is the environment more important of all the seminar. to visit are also the Chapel of the Seminar Minor and the Chapel of four years Theological.