The island of San Giulio and the Sacro Monte
West of Lake Maggiore, surrounded by wooded hills, Lake Orta is a small, quiet and romantic lake, loved by writers and artists such as Balzac, Nietzsche and Samuel Butler. On its eastern shore, on a promontory, lies Orta San Giulio, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, with narrow cobbled lanes, houses with frescoed façades, iron balconies and gardens descending to the water, and the lively Piazza Motta, open on the lake, with its cafés and the small Palazzotto of 1582, the old town hall, raised on arcades and decorated with frescoes.
From the square, boats take you in a few minutes to the Isola di San Giulio, a tiny island almost entirely occupied by the Basilica of San Giulio, of Romanesque origin, which preserves frescoes and a splendid black marble ambo of the twelfth century carved with symbols of the Evangelists, and by the large Benedictine abbey Mater Ecclesiae. According to legend, Saint Julius arrived on the island in the fourth century sailing on his cloak and drove away the snakes and dragons that infested it. A single lane encircles the island, the "Way of Silence", with signs inviting meditation. Above Orta, on a wooded hill, stands the Sacro Monte di Orta, part of the UNESCO site of the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, with twenty chapels decorated with statues and frescoes telling the life of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Tip: leave the car in the car parks above the village and walk down; visit the island early in the morning, when it is truly silent.
Where it is
More things to see in Piedmont
Where to stay near Orta San Giulio
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.