Piedmont · Novara
Arona
A Lake Maggiore town at the southern tip of the lake, watched over by a 35-meter copper colossus of San Carlo Borromeo finished in 1698.
Known for
SANCARLONE
35.1-meter copper colossus of San Carlo Borromeo, the tallest visitable statue in the world from 1698 until the Statue of Liberty in 1886.
ROCCA BORROMEO
Ruined Borromeo castle above town, birthplace of Carlo Borromeo in 1538 and razed by Napoleonic troops in 1800.
LAGONI DI MERCURAGO
UNESCO pile-dwelling site since 2011, Bronze Age stilt settlement in the natural park on the southern edge of the commune.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Why come
Arona sits at the southern tip of Lake Maggiore, ninety kilometers north of Milano and the first stop most travellers reach when they leave the city for the lakes. The town came under the Borromeo family in 1439 and stayed there for centuries. The Rocca di Arona on the hill above town was the Borromeo castle and the birthplace of Carlo Borromeo in 1538, later cardinal and archbishop of Milan; the French demolished the fortress in 1800 and only the ruins of the towers remain.
On the next hill, the Sacro Monte di Arona holds the Sancarlone, a copper colossus of the saint that stands 35. 1 meters with its pedestal, designed by Il Cerano and erected between 1614 and 1698. It was the tallest visitable statue in the world until the Statue of Liberty surpassed it in 1886. The Lagoni di Mercurago natural park on the southern edge of town contains pile-dwelling settlements listed under the UNESCO Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps.
The Sunday letter
We haven’t written Arona’s letter yet.
One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.
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What to see
Sancarlone
Copper colossus of San Carlo Borromeo, 35.1 meters tall with its pedestal, designed by Il Cerano and built between 1614 and 1698 above the Sacro Monte.
Rocca di Arona
Ruined Borromeo fortress on the hill above town, birthplace of Carlo Borromeo in 1538, demolished by French troops in 1800.
Collegiata di Santa Maria Nascente
Late medieval church on the lakefront, holding a polyptych by Gaudenzio Ferrari completed in 1511.
Parco Naturale dei Lagoni di Mercurago
Regional natural park with Bronze Age pile-dwelling sites included in the UNESCO Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps since 2011.
Lungolago di Arona
Long lakefront promenade looking north up Lake Maggiore, with the rival town of Angera on the opposite Lombard shore.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Arona fits in a slow Italy circuit.
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We recommend
Where to eat and stay
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to — a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
StrattoriaRistorante
One Gambero Rosso fork (77/100) for Strattoria, and a spot in the Michelin Guide.
BluRistorante
Blu has a spot in the Michelin Guide to its name.
CastagnetoRistorante
Castagneto has a Michelin Bib Gourmand to its name.
CondividereRistorante
A Michelin Bib Gourmand, at Condividere.
Living here
- Population 13,694
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Milan, 1 h 31 min drive
- Regional capital Torino, 1 h 33 min drive
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 212 m
- Population: 13,694
- Surface area: 15.17 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Close by
More towns near Arona
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A Lake Orta promontory facing an islet with a Romanesque basilica, plus a UNESCO Sacro Monte of twenty Francis-of-Assisi chapels on the hill above.
🟠 Bandiera Arancione
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