Province NO
Novara, NO
A rice-growing and logistics city on the plain between Milan and Turin, and the second largest in Piedmont. Its landmark is a 121 metre dome by Alessandro Antonelli, visible from the surrounding paddy fields.
Sights
- Basilica di San Gaudenzio, whose Antonelli dome was completed in 1888 and is the city's symbol
- Duomo and Baptistery, a cathedral complex on the site of a Roman temple, with the baptistery the older survival
- Broletto, the medieval civic courtyard that was the seat of the free commune
- Castello Visconteo-Sforzesco, restored and used for exhibitions
- Teatro Coccia, the 19th-century opera house
Things to do
- Book a guided climb inside the San Gaudenzio dome, the route runs up through the structure
- Order paniscia, the Novara rice dish with beans and salami
- Cycle out to the paddy fields, flooded and reflective in late spring
Annual events
22 January
Festa di San Gaudenzio
Patronal feast with a civic ceremony, mass and street fair.
When to visit
Late April to June, when the rice fields are under water and the weather is mild.
