Gravellona Toce
Gravellona Toce is on the plains stretching a short distance from the confluence of the Strona Stream into the Toce River. The town has approximately 7,500 inhabitants on a surface area of just over 15 km2. It belongs to the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and is about 13 km from the provincial county town of Verbania. Gravellona Toce is an important road junction and with the construction of the Napoleonic Sempione road, became a lively commercial and industrial centre, so much so as to be second-important after Omegna of the towns in the Cusio-Mottarone Mountain Municipalities.
Gravellona Toce: history
The excavations that uncovered sepulchres, grave goods, weapons and the foundations of buildings from different centuries and cultures are proof that the town was already inhabited 2,500 years ago. Gravellona Toce’s strategic importance at the mouth of the Ossola Valley (a mandatory point when travelling between Switzerland and the Ticino plain) is undisputed.
Tourism in Gravellona Toce
A good number of the finds discovered over the years by experts and enthusiasts were put on display at the Antiquarium in Mergozzo, which was established in 1969 and is now the Museum of Archaeology; it is certainly worth visiting. The Parish Church of San Pietro dating back to the 12th century was expanded and renovated several times. Its Neo-Renaissance façade (1862) was designed by Pompeo Azari. The pink-granite bell tower dates back to 1856 and is dominated by a modest cupola designed in 1930. The decorations inside are fairly recent.
However, the most important building in Gravellona Toce is the Romanesque Church of San Maurizio, news of which dates back to at least the 10th century. It had a tormented history and was used as a leper hospital in the 17th century. Its walls – decorated on the outside with hanging arches – have rectangular windows that have taken the place of the original single lights. Inside, in the single nave, cross vaults with a 15th-century roof were recently replaced with bare trusses. The bell tower – which is independent from but directly connected to the church – dates back to the end of the 11th century and is on the north side. The bell chamber and orthogonal cupola were added later.
The surrounding areas have unexpected, charming landscapes: poplar trees alternating with meadows on the banks of the Toce River, the slope ascending towards the summit of Mount Cerano with its mountain pastures and paths for strolls and excursions and the northern tip of Mount Mottarone whose road leads to the pink-granite quarry – a great area for hiking enthusiasts.
The hamlet of Granerolo towards Omegna has a unique view of Lake Orta.
