Tom`s travels: Novara (07/10/2020)

For my last day trip from Milan, I decided to head west and visit the nearby city of Novara. Located in the Piedmont region it is geographically, economically, and culturally much closer to Milan than to Turin. In less than an hour I reached the train station of Novara and from there continued on foot to explore the city center. As I walked along the main street, Corso Cavour, I came across and visited the small church of SS. Trinità and Santa Maria al Monserrato. Its Neoclassical exterior concealed a mostly Baroque interior dating to the 18th century. Where the street becomes then Piazza Matteotti, I passed by the nice Palazzo Natta, a mannerist palace dating to the 16th century and still featuring a 13th-century medieval tower turned into the town's clock tower. Nowadays the palace holds the offices of the province and the prefecture. Nearby I then walked through another square, Piazza Antonio Gramsci, where the church of San Pietro al Rosario is located. It featured a nice Baroque interior from the early 17th century which I quickly visited. Then onwards, I visited yet another Baroeuq church, this one built at the end of the 17th century and with a nice scenic facade. I then passed by the medieval church of Ognissanti which was, unfortunately, close so I continued onwards. From there I walked back along the main street and then took a side street which led me to the church of San Marco. Built in 1607 it features a lavish baroque interior with still some influences from the Mannerist style and composed of rich marbles. Nearby I then passed by the large structure of the Palazzo Tornielli, now the headquarters of the large and famous Banca Popolare di Novara. Originally built during the 16th century it passed into different hands and hosted important historical figures such as Napoleon in 1800 during his second Italian campaign, Charles Albert of Sardinia in 1849, and Napoleon III with Victor Emmanuel II, future king of Italy, in 1859 when preparing for the battle of Magenta. In 1900 it came into the hands of the bank of Novara which later expanded the palace and altered its appearance particularly with its facade in 1905. Not far from the palace I then passed and had a look at the church of the Carmine, featuring a mostly Neoclassical style, though with a romanesque bell tower which is supposed to be the oldest in the whole province. A little further on and I then reached what is probably the most important monument in the city: the Basilica of San Gaudenzio. Its size is a clear indication of this, especially its impressive cupola, which reaches a height of 121m. Once a Basilica dating to the 13th century used to stand here, however, Charles V ordered in 1554 his troops to demolish all buildings outside the city walls and thus a new Basilica had to be built. The construction of the church itself took well over a century and was only concluded in 1711 and its interior is thus a mostly Baroque structure. The Basilica's bell tower, built in 1786, is the second-highest in the region, after the one of Alessandria's Cathedral, and measures 92m. The citizens of Novara though wished for their precious Basilica to be even more impressive and financed a refurbishment which would be mainly directed at the construction of an impressive cupola. The first project dated 1841 was presented by Alessandro Antonelli, the same one who designed the Mole Antonelliana in Turin. However due to the ongoing war with Austria, not much could be completed, so Antonelli proposed a second project several years later, in 1855, which included an enlargement of the cupola. Again economic problems and the war of Italian unification meant the construction was further delayed. Finally, in 1861, the time was promising and the construction was carried on and took well over two decades, finally being completed only in 1887. For its construction, only bricks and lime were used, in a time where iron was taking predominance, and it is nowadays one of the tallest freestanding brick constructions in the world. After visiting its rich interior I wished to go up the cupola, which usually requires a ticket, but sadly found out it was closed and only open during the weekend. Next to the Basilica I then passed by a nice palace, known as the Casa Bossi and built during the 19th century by Antonelli, just like the cupola of San Gaudenzio. I then walked further through town and reached yet another church. Dedicated to Saint John it featured a nice Baroque exterior and interior dating to the 17th century. Right next to it was the Cathedral which I then proceeded to visit. Originally a Christian basilica was documented here since the 4th century, later replaced by a romanesque one between the 11th and 12th centuries. That new church was then refurbished several times, during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, eventually suffering a complete reconstruction in 1869 by yet again the architect Antonelli. Of the older building, only the cloister and the romanesque baptistry were spared. Unfortunately, the baptistry was closed that day, so I just had the chance to visit the Cathedral itself. Its interior was large, lavish, and full of light with splendid columns supporting the main structure and nice altars to the sides. After visiting the Cathedral, I then crossed the nearby Piazza Della Repubblica and entered the small courtyard of the so-called Broletto. The Broletto of Novara, like many of its counterparts in other parts of Lombardy and Piemonte, was an enclosed area where the city assemblies and the administration of justice used to take place. This picturesque medieval architectural complex consists of four historic buildings built in different eras, with different artistic styles and not consistent with each other, arranged in a quadrilateral around a central courtyard. To the north is the Palazzo del Comune, the oldest of the complex, dating to the 12th century and with a red brick facade. On the eastern side is the Palazzo dei Paratici dating to a century later but refurbished during the 18th century and featuring a nice loggia, below which was a lovely cafe. On the southern side the Palazzo del Podesta' from the end of the 14th century, beginning of the 15th century, with some arcaded arches and some traces of frescoes on the facade. On the last side, the western, is the Palazzo dei Referendari, the least lavish of the four and the only one without arcaded arches. From the courtyard, I could see the Cathedral nearby and on the opposite side the large cupola of San Gaudenzio jutting out from the rooftops. From there I then reached the city's castle in just a couple minutes' walk. It is situated on the southwestern end of the old town, with one side facing the large Piazza Martiri Della Liberta', and on the other three surrounded by a nice public park. The original building dates between the 13th and 15th centuries built for the Torriani family and later expanded by the Visconti, rulers of Milan. After being turned into a barracks during the 17th and 19th centuries it then became a prison during the Napoleonic Era, a function it held well into the 20th century. Nowadays it holds temporary art exhibitions, focusing mainly on modern and contemporary art. After walking around the castle grounds and having lunch on a bench nearby with a sandwich I had brought with me, I then headed back through the city center. I passed through the pretty Piazza Delle Erbe, a square that maintained its characteristic picturesque old town feeling, and then walked by the Gothic Casa Della Porta. This beautiful red brick city residence was built between the 14th and 15th centuries and features a really elegant facade. After one last stroll around the city center, it was time to head back to the train station and catch the next train to Milan. On the way back, I was able to admire the beautiful view of the flat countryside that surrounds the city and with a view of the already snowcapped Alps in the distance, seeming so near on this clear sunny day.