Attractions and Places To See around Formigliana - Top 20

The Abbey of San Nazzaro Sesia is a complex made up of structures from different historical periods. The oldest parts are the bell tower, built as a watchtower, and the two wings of the narthex preceding the façade, which are what remains of the quadriportico built around 1150, shortly after the abbey itself was founded (1040). The cuts resulting from the demolition of the other two sides are still clearly visible today. The narthex is almost entirely made up of stones from the Sesia river arranged in a herringbone pattern to increase its solidity. The mortar itself was obtained from materials found on site, near the Sesia river. It was probably originally used as a “hospitalis”, that is, it served as a place of rest and refreshment for travellers and pilgrims, who we know were very numerous in medieval times, and it also had the function of hosting catechumens.

the dome of the parish church of San Germano is the work of Bernardo Vittone, one of the protagonists of the Piedmontese late Baroque.

The Collegiata di Sant’Agata in Santhià, a comune in the province of Vercelli, Piedmont, Italy, is an impressive church located in the central Piazza Roma, not far from the town hall. Although the original Romanesque building from the 12th century has now disappeared, there are still remains of the northern exterior, the semicircular apse and the stone bell tower. The present church, designed by architect Giuseppe Talucchi, was built between 1836 and 1839 in Neoclassical style. The facade is characterized by a large pronao, supported by six columns, with vaults painted by the artist Luigi Hartmann. Inside is a valuable polittico by Gerolamo Giovenone.

The ancient village of Olcenengo is surrounded by the slow flow of its irrigation canals and shrouded in winter fog, dense and impenetrable guardian of landscapes with an ancient flavor. Agriculture is the main economic sector of Olcenengo, but in the shadow of the large farms, craft businesses related to the rice sector have developed: mechanical workshops, wooden products, pig farms with their own production of typical sausages, small family-run rice mills . The town hall, the small square with the fountain of the "sgorgia" and the "frog", the church are the most characteristic points of the city. Only a few parts of the castle, dating from 1100, are still used as a farm. The town hall is a compact building rising over two floors. The public fountain in Piazza Paietta has become the symbol of the city: a frog at the edge of the pool sprays a stream of water at a "sgorgia" (blue heron), the typical bird of the rice fields. https://www.viefrancigene.org/it/resource/poi/olcenengo/

The Collegiata di Sant'Agata in Santhià, a municipality in the province of Vercelli, Piedmont, is an impressive church located in the central Piazza Roma, not far from the town hall. Although the original 12th century Romanesque building has now disappeared, remains of the northern exterior, semi-circular apse and stone bell tower still remain. The current church, designed by architect Giuseppe Talucchi, was built between 1836 and 1839 in a neoclassical style. The facade is characterized by a large pronao, supported by six columns, with vaults painted by artist Luigi Hartmann. Inside is a valuable polittico by Gerolamo Giovenone.

The Lame del Sesia park extends over an area of approximately 900 hectares along a stretch of almost 8 kilometers of the Sesia river, located between the provinces of Novara and Vercelli. The river environment, enriched by blades, meanders, bodies of water, woods, gravels and sands, constitutes an important natural oasis in stark contrast to the surrounding landscape characterized by rice monoculture.

The park extends for approximately 900 hectares on a stretch of almost 8 kilometers of the Sesia river, straddling the border between the provinces of Novara and Vercelli. The environment of the Lame del Sesia park is typically fluvial with blades, meanders, bodies of water, woods, gravels and sands. A natural oasis in stark contrast to the surrounding landscape characterized by the predominance of rice monoculture. For info and visits: https://www.parcoticinolagomaggiore.com/it-it/aree-protette/servizi/parco-naturale-delle-lame-del-sesia

Olcenengo (Osneng in Piedmontese) is an Italian municipality of 786 inhabitants in the province of Vercelli in Piedmont. Source: Wikipedia