Casa Vacanze Orta San Giulio
Lake Orta Vacation Rentals
Casa Vacanze Orta San Giulio
Lake Orta Vacation Rentals
INFO & CONTACTS
Orta San Giulio (NO) - Italy
info@casavacanzeorta.com
Mobile phone: +393311325368
Holiday apartments on Lake Orta
HIKING
Casa Vacanze Orta San Giulio - Made by FLAZIO |COOKIE POLICY|PRIVACY POLICY|
4. SAN MAURIZIO - MADONNA DEL SASSO - PELLA
4. SAN MAURIZIO - MADONNA DEL SASSO - PELLA
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Starting and arrival point: Giacomini firm's parking lot, in San Maurizio d'Opaglio (401 m a.s.l.).
Major points of interest: Path of the Stonecutters, Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso, Boleto, Artò, Centonara, Pella.
Please note: this route belongs to the Girolago circuit and is known as Sentiero Arancione.
We leave the car in the Giacomini firm's large parking lot, at the border between San Maurizio d'Opaglio and Pella, and crossing the main road Pogno-Alzo we go up following the dirt road that leads to the village of Briallo. At the chapel of Santa Barbara we keep to the right going alongside the aqueduct's fence, and then we turn to the right following the indication "Sentiero degli Scalpellini" (Path of the Stonecutters).
The most difficult stretch of the route starts here, along the old road that the stonecutters walked every day to reach the quarries of precious white granite. A steep climb allows us to have an ever wider view of the lake, until, after a little more than 1 km and 1 h of walking, we reach the Sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso at 640 m a.s.l. We take some time to visit the church, built in 19th century baroque style, with its frescoes, the bell tower and the adjacent parish house. From the court in front of the Sanctuary, called the "balcony of Cusio", you can enjoy the best panoramic view of Lake Orta, from Lido di Gozzano to Omegna. Near the church you can stop to eat and rest in an equipped picnic area.
We take the paved road which runs along the cemetery leading us to a water spring, and from here we continue straight on along the narrow street that goes through the village of Boleto until Piazza Europa, where you can visit the Museum of the Stonecutter, dedicated to promoting this hard job now no longer exercised here.
We get back on our feet and walk along Via Frua until we reach Piazza del Municipio (692 m a.s.l.), the highest point of our route. We continue straight on until we reach the main road and keep to the left along the pleasant paved road, slightly downhill (Via per Boleto), which leads us to the picturesque villages of Artò and Centonara with their houses decorated with frescoes, fountains, sundials, old millstones and religious buildings. In particular, at Artò you can visit the Oratory of St. Anthony the Abbot and the 16th century Parish Church of San Bernardino; at Centonara the Parish Church of Santa Maria Maddalena.
After passing the village of Centonara we take the dirt downward path that goes to the hamlet of Ventraggia. We cross the main road and take a steep cobbled path (Via Francesco Petrarca), which leads us quickly to the Parish Church of Pella dedicated to Sant'Albino. Here we go straight down the slope that brings us to the historic center and to the renowned lakeside promenade. We turn to the right along the lake shore, heading south to the quaint hamlet of Lagna, with finely decorated house facades, an old wash house, a church and a small pier. After passing the village, we cross the main road and take Via Dolomiti, a dirt road that, with a climb of about 1 km, brings us to the Parish Church of San Maurizio d'Opaglio (difference in level of about 70 m). Along the way we can find, in the place called Bacchiore, the Oratory of Our Lady Immaculate. After visiting the Parish Church we turn right and after about 800 m we reach the parking lot from where we started.