What to see in Novara

The Piedmontese city of Novara offers interesting views and beauties dedicated to the most adventurous travelers. Novara is a very large city, known to most for its central position and the main hub between the great capitals of Milan and Turin. But Novara is much more than a commercial place: in its historic center, you can admire imposing buildings that have often been the protagonists of history and particular events.

Let's see specifically what are the main attractions of this city and why it is worth a visit.

The historic center of Novara

The historic center of Novara is a calm and peaceful place to enjoy a slow and restful holiday. The colorful buildings create a unique and particular atmosphere. Among the streets of the center, these historic buildings are disguised with sumptuous interiors and are of great historical importance: the most famous is certainly Palazzo Tornielli Bellini, the headquarters of the Banca di Novara. The building was owned by the powerful Tornielli family and in the eighteenth century, it passed to the Bellini family who carried out the restoration work. The palace can be visited, you can enter the Sala Maggiore, the Sala Delle Danze, and the Galleria degli Arazzi, but it is, in particular, the Hall of the Assignment that must be visited precisely for its historical importance: here, on 23 March 1849 King Carlo Alberto he laid the crown and chose exile while still in these rooms, about ten years later, Napoleon III and Vittorio Emanuele II prepared for the battle of Magenta. The other historic buildings in the city are Palazzo Tornielli and Palazzo Natta Isola, the seat of the province of Novara.

Free time in Novara

Novara is also a place to enjoy an interesting cultural experience, fun and tasty. At the Castello di Novara, built by the Visconti and restored by the Sforza, important cultural events are held in which you can participate. Walking through the streets of Novara you cannot help but stop in the biscuit factories and taste the famous Novara biscuits whose recipe dates back to the medieval period when the Carmelite nuns prepared them with their own hands with simple ingredients. Another focal point of Novara is Casa Bossi, a large abandoned mansion resulting from the artistic creation of Alessandro Antonelli, the architect who designed most of the Novara buildings. Unfortunately, the decorations of Casa Bossi have mostly been lost, but this mansion is an interesting place to visit.

The Basilica of Novara

It is called the Basilica of San Gaudenzio, an imposing Catholic building that stands out for its dome, called the Antonelli's Dome which reaches 121 meters in height. The Basilica does not represent a sacred building, but it is a civic place built by the Novara people after the Spanish rule. The Basilica represents one of the symbols of the city of Novara and a unique building in the world, with its interior decorations and the complexity of the architecture.