Arona Castle

Arona Castle, locally known as Rocca di Arona or Rocca Borromeo di Arona, lies in the town of the same name, in the Novara province in the Piedmont region in Italy.

Arona Castle, situated on a limestone spur on the west bank of the Lake Maggiore, was founded shortly before the 11th century when the area was under control of the Lombards. Together with its counterpart; Angera Castle, on the opposite side of the lake, built just some decades later, it controlled the area and the lake. At first it had a solely defensive purpose but later during the 11th and 12th century it became a simple fortified refuge when it was an episcopal property.

In 1277, after the Battle of Desio, the castle returned to the Visconti family from Milan, after it had been almost completely destroyed during sieges and subsequent occupation by the Della Torre family. Filippo Maria Visconti ceded the castle and town as a fief to Vitaliano I Borromeo in 1439. The Borromeo family held the castle for the next 4 centuries. Cardinal and Saint Charles Borromeo was born in the castle in 1538.

By 1800 the area was held by the Austrians. Following peace agreements between the Austrians and Napoleon Bonaparte, the Napoleonic army thoroughly destroyed Arona Castle. It was never rebuilt.

The grounds of Arona Castle are now a public park and can freely be visited during daytime. The ruins may not be that impressive but the view over Lake Maggiore certainly is.

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