| Vogogna | ||
 | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Piedmont | |
| Territory | Piedmontese Alpine Arch | |
| Altitude | 223 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 16.62 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 1.785 (2010 census) | |
| Name inhabitants | Vogognesi | |
| Prefix tel | 39 0324 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 28805 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | Blessed Virgin of Sorrows (September 15) | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Vogogna is a center of the Piedmont.
To know
It is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy and has been awarded the orange flag by the Italian Touring Club.
Geographical notes
Main center of the lower Ossola, it is 35 km from Orta San Giulio, 23 from Verbania, 14 from Domodossola.
Background
The toponym may derive from the name of the ancient people who lived in these lands before the Romans, the Agoni Gauls: Vallis Agonum, valley of the Agons. A plaque dating back to 196 AD. testifies to the Roman presence in Vogogna. The epigraph is located between the Masone bridge and Dresio. Indicates the starting point of the Alpine stretch of the road route.
The town, mentioned for the first time in a notarial document of 970 AD, remained a peasant village until the 13th century, when Vogogna, due to its geographical location, was chosen as the capital of Lower Ossola. In 1014, Emperor Arrigo II donated the Ossola countryside to the bishop of Novara. Vogogna becomes vassal of Vergonte, then Pietrasanta. Following the destruction of the latter (1328) due to a disastrous flood, it became the center of the political-administrative life of the Lower Ossola and therefore the seat of the Jurisidition of the Lower Ossola which included the Four Lands: Masera, Trontano, Beura Cardezza, keeping it until 1818 when the district will pass to Ornavasso.
In 1342 it passed under the control of the Archbishop of Milan and was used as a bulwark in defense of the duchy. In 1348 the Viscontis built the castle there and restored the walls and fortress. In 1375, the rivalry between Domodossola, capital of Upper Ossola, and Vogogna, culminates with the sack of the latter by the opponents. In 1411 Vogogna repelled the Swiss invaders but in 1416 it allied itself with them against the Upper Ossola. Between 1450-1535, during the rule of the Sforza and under the government of the Borromeo (1416-1600), Vogogna became a thriving village, a center of trade and commerce along the ancient Sempione road that crosses it. The period of relative economic prosperity and military importance lasted until the beginning of the Spanish domination (1535-1706). The decline of the country worsened during the Austrian government (1706-1743), and that of the Savoy (1743-1789). In 1819, Vogogna loses jurisdiction over the Lower Ossola and becomes a simple municipality.
How to orient yourself
Vogogna: full screen map.How to get
By plane
- Milan - Malpensa Airport (78 km approximately).
- Milan Airport - Linate (About 140 km).
- Turin Caselle Airport (162 km approximately).
By car
- A26 motorway Genoa - Gravellona Toce
- National road n.33 of the Simplon (Gravellona Toce - Varzo - Simplon Pass - Swiss border)
- Provincial Road 69 Vogogna - Beura Cardezza
- Provincial Road 166 Premosello - Vogogna
On the train
- Railway station, via Station 1.
By bus
It has stops on the lines:
- Comazzi Autoservizi: Domodossola-Omegna
- STN: Novara-Arona-Domodossola
- Conser VCO: Verbania-Domodossola
How to get around
What see
- 1 Visconteo Castle. Built in 1348 at the behest of Giovanni Visconti, bishop of Novara. In the same period, a wider wall was built to protect the entire town and the Palazzo del Pretorio. The plan of the structure is irregular, and reflects the orography of the land as well as the different construction phases.
- In 1798 the Castle became the property of the municipality and was used as a prison for common and political prisoners. The Castle was closed to the public in 1970, until the restoration began in 1990; it was reopened in 1998. The refurbishment works completed in 2004 continued. The new infrastructures were inaugurated on June 4, 2005.
- 2 Rocca. Just above the castle are the ruins of the ancient fortress dating back to the IX-X century. The original functions are not known with certainty: defensive stronghold or watchtower inserted in the defensive system that ran along the valley. It becomes a real defensive structure with the renovation works started at the same time as the works of the Castle and Palazzo Pretorio. It was destroyed in the 16th century during a raid by the Valaisans.
- 3 Palazzo Pretorio. Built in 1348, by the will of Giovanni Visconti, bishop of Novara, as the seat of the Vicar. It is located at the foot of the steps leading to the castle. It was the seat of the government of the Lower Ossola until 1819.
- The Palace was closed in 1979, due to a restoration program, and was reopened to the public on February 27, 1998: it is currently a multifunctional space, also used as a venue for conferences.
- The building takes up the architectural model of the Lombard broletto and is supported by pointed arches resting on columns. The covered space under the portico was used for public assemblies and as a market while the upper part housed the civil and judicial administration. Inside and outside fragments of the ancient pictorial decoration are still partially visible, including the Visconti coat of arms at the top of the facade. Around the Praetorium there are the most elegant residences, such as Villa Biraghi Lossetti (1650).
- Celtic mask. The Palazzo Pretorio houses inside the Celtic mask, in soapstone, originally placed in the courtyard of the Church of San Pietro, where, at least since 1753, it was incorporated into a fountain, decorated on the top with a fresco Baptism of Jesus by St. John the Baptist. The mask is a male figure that could represent a sylvan god or a Celtic hero. The decorative elements are typical of the 4th century BC. although some scholars, while linking it to the world and to Celtic culture, date it to a post-Roman conquest or even to the early Middle Ages. The adaptation of the stone mask to the support of the water outlet tube has profoundly changed the original expression of the face.
- 4 Parish church. Neo-Gothic church, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, built between 1894 and 1904.
- 5 Church of S. Pietro (in Dresio). In the hamlet of Dresio, of ancient origin, there is the Church of San Pietro, the first parish church, probably of Lombard origin. Inside there are two valuable frescoes of the fifteenth century. For the interesting figure of a saint of the Order of the Servants of Mary, the identification in Pellegrino Laziosi, the most important among the saints of that order, has recently been proposed.
- In the courtyard, the Celtic mask is a copy of the original kept in the Palazzo Pretorio.
Events and parties
- Halloween night.
October 31st. - Living nativity scene. in the Christmas period.
- Feast of the Befana. January 6.
- Vogognese Carnival.
- Living Via Crucis. in the Easter period. Representation of the Way of the Cross
October 31st.What to do
Shopping
- Among the typical food products of the Ossola Valley, cheeses and cured meats are worthy of note.
How to have fun
- Pit Stop - Disco pub, via Nazionale 219, ☎ 39 347 5418068.
Where to eat
The gnocchi all'ossolana are among the best known dishes of local cuisine. They are characterized by a mixture of chestnut flour, pumpkin and boiled potato puree; they are seasoned with melted butter and local cheese.
Average prices
- Restaurant Pizzeria "Eurogrill Monterosa, Via Nazionale Dresio 247 (Masone locality), ☎ 39 0324 842202, fax: 39 0324 842700.
- Trattoria San Rocco, Via Nazionale 178, ☎ 39 0324 87139.
- Roxy Pizzeria, Via Nazionale 178, ☎ 39 0324 87095. Closed on Mondays.
- Pizzeria Station, Via Nazionale n.198, ☎ 39 349 8260237. Closed on Sundays.
Where stay
Average prices
- , Location Prata, ☎ 39 0324 87010.
- Hotel Del Vecchio Borgo, Piazza Chiesa n.7, ☎ 39 0324 87504, fax: 39 0324 878756, @[email protected]. Three stars
High prices
- Motel Vogogna, Via Nazionale Dresio n.241, ☎ 39 0324 842605, @[email protected]. Four stars
- Valgrande hotels, Via Nazionale, 241, ☎ 39 0324 842604. Four stars
Bed and Breakfast
- B&B del Viandante, via Nazionale n.270, ☎ 39 0324 87277, @[email protected].
Safety
Pharmacy
- Sacks, Via Nazionale n.43, ☎ 39 0324 87053.
How to keep in touch
Post office
- Italian post, Via Nazionale 152, ☎ 39 0324 87693.
