Valle Antrona and Val d'Ossola: two valleys between nature and history

The experience

With this itinerary you will discover two valleys in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola: the Antrona Valley and the Ossola Valley.

You will begin to be thrilled by the spectacle offered by the Antrona Valley, almost on the border with Switzerland. From the second half of the eighteenth century until after the Second World War, this area was widely exploited by English and French companies due to the presence of gold and silver deposits.

Lake Antrona will be the beginning of the circular excursion that will allow you to be enchanted by the scenic beauty of this area, starting after a few steps to admire the wonderful Sajont Waterfall whose waters plunge directly into the lake from a height of over 50 meters. We proceed along the path that leads to Lake Campliccioli and its dam. The route continues along the rails of an old railroad, which was used in the past to transport the logs and construction materials of the dam. The trolleys lie abandoned on the tracks and make you imagine the fatigue of so many men who have worked here to accomplish a truly impressive feat.

You will continue along a scenic road until you reach Vogogna, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and part of the Orange Flag circuit of the Italian Touring Club, located along one of the many routes called “francigeni” in the Middle Ages and which allowed pilgrims to cross the Alps. Vogogna preserves the ancient and noble imprint of its illustrious past and is included in the territory of the Val Grande National Park, the largest wilderness area in Italy, a stone’s throw from the gentle region of the lakes.

Vogogna, despite its ancient origins, acquired prestige only in the thirteenth century and thanks to its function as a fortified center it was chosen as the capital of the lower Ossola, as opposed to Domodossola which in those same years played the role of capital of the Upper Ossola.

The symbol of the village is the Visconti Castle, leaning against a spur of rock and built in 1348 at the behest of Giovanni Visconti, bishop of Novara and lord/archbishop of Milan. The castle, which dominates Vogogna with its round tower, was built to defend the old village of Vogogna and the entire valley from enemy attacks. At the end of the 1700s, the manor passed under the control of the Municipality, which turned it into a prison for political prisoners. The medieval urban layout is recognizable in the historic center with the houses leaning against each other to compete for a well-circumscribed space, among which Palazzo Pretorio dominates, inside which it houses the Celtic mask, an important sculptural find dating back to the third century BC, of which there is a copy from which fresh water flows into the courtyard. Around the Praetorium you can admire some stately homes.