- CHIESE, SANTUARI, LUOGHI E PERCORSI SACRI
Ornavasso
Ornavasso has just over 3,000 inhabitants and is located in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola at 215 metres asl. It is one of the first villages encountered heading up the Toce River, after Gravellona Toce, and is just a few kilometres from Mergozzo. Two very important necropolises for the study of Pre-Roman civilisation in the Alps, have been discovered here.
Ornavasso: history
The two necropolises were discovered in two different areas of Ornavasso: In Persona and San Bernardo. The tombs discovered date back to between the 2nd century BC - 1st century AD and appear to belong to the Celtic and Italic cultures.
The town as we see it today is certainly the results of the arrival of the Walser people (15th century), who established themselves in this area by reclaiming the plain. Ornavasso was the most southern Walser settlement in their colonisation of the Ossola area. The Walser settlement grew until it prevailed over the native population and Ornavasso became a linguistic island, with its typical Germanic origins. The Walser language, in particular Walser German, started to disappear towards the end of the 1800’s, although local dialect still has many terms from the German vocabulary.
Art and entertainment in Ornavasso
Ornavasso is home to many interesting churches from an artistic viewpoint, including the 16th-century Sanctuary of Madonna del Boden, the Church of San Nicola, which is home to a museum dedicated to the Walser people, and the Sanctuary of Beata Vergine della Guardia.
The sanctuary gets its name from an old medieval tower on the high grounds: 14th-century Torre della Guardia used as a signalling tower.
There are several routes in the area ideal for excursions and outdoor walks.
Sagra di Ornavasso (Festival of Ornavasso)
Sagra di Ornavasso has attracted several thousand tourists and visitors over the last few years in the spring. This event encompasses history, traditions, typical local products, tasting and guided tours called La vita tra Leponti e Walser (Life between Leponti and Walser).
