Excursion to Lake D’Orta
Lake d’Orta is another of the wonderful places for which Italy is so famous. This small body of water, surrounded by gentle alpine slopes, is located in the province of Piedmont, near the majestic Lake Maggiore. The quiet, cosy body of water is framed by romantic scenery.
The mountain reservoir was formed naturally in time immemorial, when glaciers descended from high peaks. A small rift, filled with cold streams and, springs gushing from the ground. For a long time St Julius was considered the patron saint of the lake. According to numerous legends San Giulio lived in the vicinity of the beautiful lake in the IV century AD. The lake was given its modern name in the 16th century. The great Frenchman Honoré de Balzac called this picturesque corner of Italy “a grey pearl in a green box”. Friedrich Nietzsche gained inspiration on the shores of this marvellous body of water to create his masterpiece “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”. The emerald waves of the mountain ramparts, gently rolling down to the blue mirror of the lake waters – this is the main and undeniable attraction of d’Orta.
Visiting the most romantic lake in Italy – begins with a walk through the cobbled medieval streets of the town of Orta, striking with its magical atmosphere. From the town’s central square, Piazza Motta, we will take a boat to the island of San Giulio, located in the centre of the lake. On this tiny island (its perimeter is 650 metres), we will visit the Romanesque cathedral where the relics of St. George are kept and walk along the “road of silence”. On the territory of the island is the convent of the Benedictines, who took a vow of silence. “In silence you can comprehend
everything,” reads one of the signs posted by the nuns along the path that girdles the walls of the convent.
Lake D’Orta and the Holy Mountain:
This is a complex of twenty small chapels perched on the side of a mountain, the path to which starts from the centre of the town of Orta. It can be reached either on foot (20 min) or by tourist train. This Holy Mountain is dedicated to Francis of Assisi. The complex, built between 1590 and 1788, has up to 900 frescoes and 376 terracotta sculptures that depict scenes from the saint’s life. This monumental complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is impossible to leave the Holy Mountain without admiring the beautiful view of the island of San Giulio from the platform opposite the Church of San Nicolao.
