To a certain degree, my visit to the sanctuary of Orta – the second part of my exploration of the serial Sacri Monti WH site – was coincidental with another target. Although I prioritize World Heritage properties in my itinerary, I also sprinkle in other destinations that I expect to be interesting, and Orta San Giulio, with its island in the middle of the lake, was one such target, regardless of the attendant Sacro Monte.
Let’s recall what Isola San Giulio looks like from the heights of the sanctuary’s terraces.
Sometime during my preparation research for the trip, I realized that the shores of Lake Orta are included in a tentative World Heritage submission celebrating the modelled architectural and cultural landscape of Piedmontese lakelands. So here are a few more elevated perspectives that enhance my claim of having visited the property for when – if – it gets inscribed.
The village of Pella on the western shore of the lake.
The perspective along the eastern shore, with the 12th-century Torre di Buccione in the distance.
And an eye-catching palace and minaret, quite unusual in these parts.
That is Villa Crespi, which was built in the late 19th century by a local magnate – the same Cristoforo Benigno Crespi who later founded Crespi d’Adda – who had spent a lot of his time on business in the Middle East and wanted to be perpetually reminded of its architectural beauty. These days, it is a 5-star hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant.
And now a few different focal-length perspectives of the island on the lake from the main square of the village of Orta San Giulio.
Piazza Mario Motta, the aforementioned main square that is open to the lake, is surrounded by lovely buildings on three sides.
One other space in the village, Piazzetta Ernesto Ragazzoni, qualifies as a square…
… while the rest of it is a compact maze of narrow streets and passageways.
Here is the view of Orta San Giulio from the lake.
And because there can never be too many perspectives of Isola San Giulio in a single post, here is a sequence of island approach shots taken from the shuttle boat.
The passage shown above connects the small pier area directly with the Basilica San Giulio. The church is not too big, but it is amazingly painted and decorated throughout.
After leaving the church, you can take a circular stroll around the island on what is known as “the silent walk”.
The brown oval signs along the route keep reminding you in four languages to remain with your thoughts. “Silence is the language of love”, “Silence is truth and prayer”, that kind of stuff…
The island settlement – which is centered on the Benedictine Abbey that includes the Basilica – appears to enjoy excellent upkeep. Still, none of the few establishments en route were open in the early afternoon on a November Saturday, and the only people around appeared to be the same half a dozen other visitors who took the incoming boat run with me.
The boat was making its shuttle trips every 30 minutes. I finished my circumnavigation of the island just in time to hop on the next return run.
This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Orta San Giulio.