NoIt’s not always necessary to go far. Often the surprises are just a handful of kilometers from Milan. It happens to Novara, an aristocratic living room with a bohemian charm, a succession of arcades and squares that draw an itinerary in the historic center.
A view from the dome
The first stage is the climb (kalata.it) with helmet and harness, on the dome of the basilica of San Gaudenzio, designed by the genius of Alessandro Antonelli (the same of the Mole Antonelliana in Turin). It almost looks like a pin, the kind you put on geographical maps, e from a height of 121 meters you have a unique view: on one side the undulations of the Pre-Alps, on the other the plain, that of the rice fields which are flooded in spring, creating the “checkered sea”, a unique spectacle in Italy. Now you can get off and walk around, because everything is within walking distance.
There is the Brolettowith its elegant buildings arranged in a quadrilateral around the central courtyard, theand neoclassical forms of the Cathedral and the Baptistery, an early Christian building from the 5th century located under the Cathedral, in which some Roman frescoes have been brought to light. Remains of the same era are also found in the walls, still visible in the courtyard of the Visconti-Sforzesco castle which, after the restoration, has become the home of Novara culture and, until 29 May, hosts the exhibition and Sergio Floriani. Tracks.
The façade of the Cathedral of Novara preceded by the quadriportico.
Leonardo’s hunt for the golden horse
A legend linked to the castle tells that a golden horse commissioned by Ludovico il Moro to Leonardo da Vinci is hidden in its basement, a treasure that despite numerous searches has never been found. The ideal place to take a break is overlooking Martyrs of Liberty square: The Cannavacciuolo Café & Bistrot Novara (cannavacciuolobistrot.it/novara) because it is both a bar-pastry shop and a gourmet restaurant, where the sensation is that of eating out and feeling at home. For those who love sweets there are historic pastry shops, such as Camporelli (vicolo Monte Ariolo 3, camporelli1852.it), which has been famous since 1852 for Biscottini di Novara. They are prepared only with flour, sugar, eggs and are cooked twice, as the name of biscuit suggests. They are also kept in beautiful tin boxes, to give away.
Teatro Coccia, the main opera house in Novara. Photo by Stefano Scarafia.
Among the velvets of the Opera theatre
The afternoon hours are perfect to continue walking in the historic center, where the most beautiful buildings are located. Between these Palazzo Bellini (anovara.it) inside which are found, in addition to the bed on which Napoleon slept (in the period in which he was studying the moves that would have allowed him to win the battle of Marengo, in 1800), numerous frescoes, paintings, tapestries and a collection of precious Sicilian corals . Another museum treasure is the Giannoni Modern Art Gallery (gallerygiannoni.it) original exhibition itinerary through sections ranging from the “Risorgimento between reality and myth” to the “Tale of the past” passing through the “Nature in pose and the landscape en plein air”, where works by artists such as Plinio Nomellini, Giovanni Fattori, Angelo Morbelli stand out Peter Gaudenzi.
For a creative and contemporary dinner bet on Tantris (restauranttantris.com), led by the talented Marta Grassi, a student of Paracucchi and Marchesi, who had the merit of bringing the first Michelin star to Novara. And to round off the evening, a show at the Coccia, one of the most important historic theaters in Piedmont, designed by Cosimo Morelli in 1779, enlarged at the end of the 19th century and subsequently restored. It is revealed with three tiers of large boxes decorated in Renaissance style, with columns surmounted by swan-shaped sculptures, and also hosts music concerts and in summer the Novara Jazz Festival. The second theater in the city is the Farraggiana, born in 1905, at the behest of the Marquis Farraggiana, annoyed at having found “his” box occupied at the Coccia. Today, alongside the theatrical programming, it also supports the cinematographic one with three rooms, one of which, the Araldo, is dedicated to arthouse cinema.
A room in Palazzo Bellini, the residence that hosted Napoleon Bonaparte.
The game of reflexes in the fields
The second day can start with a breakfast at Bar Corona (coronawineandfood.it), with a very familiar atmosphere, to then reach the green lung of the Alley Gardens, whose name derives from the Napoleonic era, from the French aller, to walk. A tip: choose the last bench in the park to stop, because you have a beautiful view of the Duomo and the Cupola. A few minutes from the historic centre, itineraries start on white roads, such as those of the Sentiero Novara, twenty-one stages of 9 to 15 kilometres, which enter the countryside between rows of poplars, farmhouses (where to buy Razza 77 rice, a niche crop), small villages, or along the Canale Cavour, which cuts the plain very straight, enhances the landscape and gives it an almost metaphysical dimension.
An excursion that deserves to be lived slowly, to enjoy the scenery of the flooded rice fields, with the sky and the earth that on certain cloudy days seem to touch. Almost an invitation to get lost and then find yourself and go back to the center for the latest purchases. Maybe among the stalls of Covered market displaying typical specialties: salame della duja, acacia honey that comes from the hills of Ghemme, Sizzano Doc, the favorite wine of Camillo Benso di Cavour, and gorgonzola, more than a cheese a character, which appears in pages by Stendhal, Manzoni, Carducci and Moravia.
The Cavour Canal, almost 83 kilometers long, which supports the cultivation of rice.
Where to sleep in Novara
Mazzini 15. Corso Mazzini, 15. An elegant B&B in a period building near the University and the Conservatory, with three quiet rooms furnished in a contemporary style. Double room from 85 euros. mazzini15.com
Hotel Cavourvia San Francesco D’Assisi, 6. Four stars in a 20th century building, offers spacious rooms, also with terrace. Double from 104 euros. hotelcavournovara.com
Where to eat
Circle of bread, via Perazzi, 1/F. The queen of the menu is paniscia, a rice-based dish from Novara, but there are other gastronomic itineraries: weeders, farmhouses, rice fields. circolodellapaniscia.com
Three Steps, via Sottile, 23. Piedmontese cuisine in a modern key by chef Marcello Gado. On the menu, pappardelle with hare ragout, bay oil and bitter cocoa. trescalininovara.com
What to buy
Moroni, via degli Avogadro, 1. Cured meats, hams, cheeses and Piedmontese rotisserie. Even four tables, next to the shop, for a snack or an aperitif.
Gramigni, Corso Cavour, 13/A. Historic pastry shop where you can buy Pane di San Gaudenzio: shortcrust pastry shell and interior with raisins and toasted Piedmont hazelnuts.
Information
ATL Novara, turismonovara.it
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