Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
First news of this convent came in the 13th century, when Dominican friars founded it;
bits were tacked on subsequently down the centuries. It was abandoned in the course of
the 20th century.
You enter by a portico overlooking the lake, and pass through the south monastery and
a small courtyard (with an 18th-century winepress), which leads into another Gothic por-
tico. A 16th-century fresco series depicting the
Danza macabra
(Dance of Death) can still
be made out on its upper level. Finally you reach the church, fronted by a four-arch por-
tico. The church is a curious affair; it's actually the cobbling together of a series of 13th-
and 14th-century chapels that form an oddly shaped whole. Inside, you behold a carnival
of frescoes, among them the Christ Pantocrator in the Cappella di San Nicola, the first
chapel on the right upon entering.
Ferries from Stresa (return €7) call here irregularly. Otherwise, by car or bus it's 6.5km
south of Laveno (watch for the signs for Leggiuno and then a sign for the convent, 1km in
off the main road).
DON'T MISS
TOP FRESCOES
Among the best-kept secrets of the Lake Maggiore area are the fabulous frescoes - artistic remnants with centur-
ies of history, in some cases remarkably well preserved. The cream range from pre-Romanesque to wonderful
Florentine Renaissance. Our favourites :
Basilica di San Giulio
(
Click here
)
The 12th-century church on Lake Orta's island is jammed with vibrant fres-
coes depicting saints.
Collegiata
(
Click here
) Florentine master Masolino da Panicale carried out a series on the life of St John the
Baptist in 1435.
Chiesa di Santa Maria Foris Portas
(
Click here
)
A modest Lombard church contains extraordinary pre-
Romanesque frescoes that may date back to the 7th century.
Santa Caterina del Sasso
(
Click here
) The church in this former monastery is filled with well-preserved fres-
coes.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Ranco
POP 1371
Just outside the tranquil lake town of Ranco is the eccentric
Museo Europeo dei Trasporti
(European Transport Museum;
0331 97 51 98;
www.museodeitrasportiogliari.it
; Via Alberto 99;
10am-noon &
