Armeno - Lake Maggiore & Lake Orta Travel Guide

Armeno in the province of Novara has about 2,500 inhabitants and lies 523 m above sea level in the eastern hill country of Lake Orta (Lago d'Orta), at the foot of Mottarone.

The settlement history of the little town and its surroundings goes back to prehistoric times. In Roman times the "Via Settimana" ran through Armeno; it was built by the Roman emperor Septimius Severus (193-211) as the main link between the Po plain and the Simplon Pass.

Today Armeno lies on the "Via Due Riviere", the road that connects the two lakes, Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta.




Armeno's most famous monument is the church "La Chiesa Parrocchiale di Santa Maria Assunta".

The church was built around 1110 on the remains of a Roman temple and was considerably enlarged and extended in the later Middle Ages.


Already in the Middle Ages, Armeno's history became increasingly intertwined with that of Orta and Lake Orta through the presence of the Bishop of Novara, who at times resided on the monastery island of San Giulio and, with his senior clergy, used the shores of the lake as a refuge from the plague epidemics of the day and for rest and recovery. During this period numerous monastic communities and many smaller prayer chapels sprang up in the area, and Armeno grew into a quite prosperous little town.


Today Armeno charms with its small-town mix of tradition and modernity. Armeno is famous the world over for its fine cooks and waiters. For centuries the "armeniesi" cooks and innkeepers served at the Spanish court, and at the same time raised the restaurant and hotel trade in the area around Lake Orta, and in parts of the whole of Piedmont, to a remarkable standard. The "Museo degli Alberghieri" (Via dei Prati, 3 Area Ex Tonella) shows the history of this trade and its memorabilia.

Armeno also includes the hamlet of Sovazza in the Agogna valley, which links Lake Maggiore with Lake Orta. Sovazza is known for its agricultural shows of cattle and sheep breeding, held every spring and autumn. In spring and autumn, from the foot of Mottarone as far as the Ossola valleys, you can witness "La transumanza", the seasonal movement of livestock between pastures, as the herds move from the valleys up into the mountains and back again.


Coiromonte, at around 800 m above sea level at the foot of "Monte Falò", is a small, enchanting village with a view of Monte Rosa, at 4,618 m the highest peak in Italy.

It is about 6 km from Armeno to Lake Orta (Orta S. Giulio) and about 15 km to Lake Maggiore (Stresa).

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