A Day in Novara

A city that carries in its name the concept of novelty, and that has always attracted great figures and artists, some of whom became important precisely thanks to the work they did in this place: we chose to spend a relaxing day devoted to culture, art and good food in Novara. One of the most beautiful stories about a figure who arrived here long before us is that of the patron saint, San Gaudenzio: born in 327 in Ivrea, into a pagan family, he became the first bishop of Novara, where for centuries he has been remembered by the splendid Basilica of San Gaudenzio. It is precisely from the Basilica that our tour of Novara begins, and we immediately realise that here every corner could reveal an entire novel. Starting with the very tall dome that traces the city's skyline: it is the work of the same Alessandro Antonelli who designed the famous Mole Antonelliana in Turin.

But while the works on the Mole were finished in 1897, nine years after the great architect's death, the dome of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio was completed in 1887, when the artist was still alive. The bell tower is also an important masterpiece, the work of no less than Benedetto Alfieri, uncle of Vittorio Alfieri, the famous 18th-century playwright and poet. As we walk along the baluardi, that is the fine tree-lined avenues that today recall the position of the ancient Roman walls, demolished in the early 20th century to allow urban expansion, we also remember the rich musical tradition of Novara, which was the birthplace among others of the conductor Guido Cantelli, Arturo Toscanini's favourite pupil, who died prematurely in an accident.

Today his musical legacy is also carried on by a festival dedicated to him, curated by the Associazione Amici della Musica Cocito, the same one that organises the evocative Cusiano Festival of Ancient Music on Lake Orta, about 40 km from Novara. We also visit the Arengo del Broletto, the ancient centre of Novara's political life: an architectural complex made up of four historic buildings arranged in a quadrilateral, including the Town Hall, dating back to the 12th century.