Yesterday, being a hot day (12 degrees), I went to visit a beautiful resort in the southern Piedmont and precisely Orta, a charming village of the lake, crossed by narrow, winding streets with beautiful houses and ancient buildings. But the most fascinating is the island located in the middle of the lake (ie the island of San Giulio ), perfectly placed in pre-alpine lake landscape e si trova a circa 400 metri dalla riva.
Narra la leggenda che nella seconda metà del IV secolo d.C. San Giulio , fuggito dalla Grecia per scampare alle persecuzioni, iniziò ad erigere chiese cristiane per combattere il paganesimo. Volendo a tutti i costi costruire la sua centesima chiesa , si spinse fìn sulle rive del lago e qui, affascinato dal luogo , rimase a contemplare l'isola, la quale - si dice - fosse allora infestata da draghi e serpenti.
Il Santo, non trovando una barca, stese il proprio mantello sull'acqua e camminandovi sopra raggiunse l'isola. Scacciati draghi e serpenti with the power of the word, began to build his church hundredth.
In this Basilica dedicated to him are preserved in the crypt of his remains.
history - in truth - it is much more stark and dramatic. Orta and the island of San Giulio knew periods of violent fights and sieges were the scene of fierce and bloody battles. It is believed that
Onorato, bishop of Novara 490 to 500, has started the works of defense, continue in the following centuries, made it an impregnable municipium Arnolfo pariah in the eleventh century. He became a Lombard duchy and was the scene of violent and bloody as in 590 the Lombard king Agilulfo you had killed the Duke Minulfo on charges of treason. In 957 Berengar II at war with the count-bishops of Novara shut himself up in the island which was besieged for two months by the troops of Otho I.
still besieged in 962, was then returned to the bishop of Novara. Alternating between the dramatic events Orta and the island remained under the domination of the bishops of Novara until 18 July 1817, when the church gave it up forever Novara in favor of Vittorio Emanuele I, reserving to the bishop of the castle and the buildings' island.
Having really enjoyed this beautiful day out, it seemed just tell it!
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