An island of Tuscany in Lombardy
In the valley of the Olona river, south of Varese, Castiglione Olona is a small village with a surprising history: in the first half of the fifteenth century Cardinal Branda Castiglioni, a humanist who had lived in Florence and Rome, transformed his birthplace into an "ideal Renaissance city", calling Tuscan artists to decorate it. The result, unique in Lombardy, is known as "an island of Tuscany in Lombardy".
The main treasure is the Baptistery of the Collegiata, entirely frescoed in 1435 by Masolino da Panicale, the master of Masaccio, with stories of St John the Baptist set in elegant architecture and landscapes, among the finest frescoes of the early Renaissance. The Collegiata itself, in Gothic style, has frescoes by Masolino, Vecchietta and Paolo Schiavo. In the village are the Palazzo Branda Castiglioni, the cardinal's residence, with frescoed rooms and a hunting scene, and the Chiesa di Villa, a small Renaissance church inspired by Brunelleschi, with giant statues of St Christopher and St Anthony beside the portal.
Tip: on the first Sunday of every month the village hosts a large antiques market; nearby are the Lombard church of Torba and Castelseprio.
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