Porto Ceresio | Inspiring Destination on Lake Lugano

Porto Ceresio, charming town in the province of Varese located on the southern shore of the beautiful Lake Lugano,a climatic and holiday resort just a few minutes from the Swiss border which despite its small area of 5.34 square kilometers has a good number of hamlets such as Poncia, Selva Piana, Monte Grumello, Ronco Falcione, Monte Casolo, Albero di Sella, Case Moro and Cà del Monte.

Ancient Celtic and then Roman settlement, you will visit a town with immense appeal with a not very extensive lakefront but which at first glance conveys a very romantic profile capable of inspiring pure poetry for the picturesque position between the captivating village and the picturesque hills that wind behind it.

The municipality territory is divided into two distinct sections whose names recall the local resources linked to the past.

One is called Pozzo, which corresponds to the old historic nucleus where the structure was established to supply drinking water to the population, while the other, called Torchio, identifies a former production complex that develops in the municipal suburbs.

I recommend starting from Pozzo which has its  fulcrum in Piazza Bossi, a square situated in a space developed mainly in the early 18th century with its major landmark consisting in Corte del Pozzo, the courtyard where the iconic well was built and place of the first official settlement of the Insubri Celts later occupied by the Romans after the colonization of these Lombard lands.

The Court is the venue for important events such as the annual Handicraft Fair,  a special opportunity to discover and admire various handicrafts with remarkable works made by the locals.

Afterwards visit the Appiani Lopez Ethnographic Museum housed in a splendid building erected on three floors that opened its doors in 1973 thanks to Luciano Appiani and Mirella Lopez.

These two people are founders and leaders of an institution that has led a project focused on showing and introducing historical events with related documentation, memories, relics, objects and utensils of the old Porto Ceresio with the intention of promoting and transmitting the historical value and heritage that this municipality boasts.

The exhibition consists of ten rooms where works mainly from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are exhibited.

Of particular interest is the Sala Appiani dedicated to the artists of the founder's family, which had in its dynasty famous architects and plasterers who worked in Rome, in the Vatican, but also in Mainz, a historic German city, a section that represents a chronological summary of their artistic activities.

The site is also a sort of very instructive guide for all those who wish to know and discover chronologically the local historical stages starting from 1850 during the period in which Porto Ceresio was part of the Austrian Empire up to more contemporary times corresponding to the Second World War.

In that century of history, traditions, culture, trades, professions and all the main local activities developed during eras in which two different Kingdoms, namely the Houses of Habsburg and Savoy, were ruled are perfectly illustrated.

Next to the charming little harbour with old nineteenth-century houses and charming streets on a splendid spur overlooking one side of the lakefront, behind a high stone wall with balustrade stands the Church of Sant'Ambrogio.

This church is a fine example of Baroque-Lombard style erected at the end of the 16th century and restored on several occasions to preserve its immense architectural and artistic value.

Developed on a large rectangular plan, the main body consists of a refined building raised on two floors with a lower section corresponding to a splendid, huge façade decorated with refined baroque details and an extraordinary presence of statues placed in strategic positions in a very orderly layout faithfully respecting the architectural canons of that era.

You will be able to admire a perfect symmetry of all the elements with some sculptures inserted in the façade that cover points and spaces surrounding the central portal.

The execution of the upper structure is also magnificent, consisting of a further construction that boasts an elegant front with other statues placed in the center and others on the sides along a captivating balustrade line that has a large pediment as its terminal on the top of the façade.

The tall bell tower raised on a quadrangular base was erected just behind the central body on the left side, a more modern building than the church since it was raised at the beginning of the twentieth century and finished in 1911.

Despite the considerable difference in terms of development, the structure is perfectly integrated into the complex with well-defined lines and a use of material chosen with acumen to create a harmonious combination with the rest of the old ecclesiastical complex.

Inside you will admire a marble statue depicting the Virgin Mary and a magnificent Vedani organ built at the end of the 19th century.

Porto Ceresio celebrates the patronal feast with the Church as the protagonist on December 7th, the same date on whichthe Patron Saint Ambrose  is honored in Milan with a very large participation by the locals, an event that on the other hand attracts people from other municipalities.

Not far from that beautiful attraction, near the port and the Lido, crossing the picturesque wooden walkway you can reach a pleasant, small beach called Fiammetta,  a picturesque place especially at sunset with extraordinary panoramic views towards the Swiss coast of Lake Lugano.

Time for your lunch, staying in the traditional restaurant, first courses to choose between Risotto and Sausages or Pennette with Tomato and Basil, second courses to choose between Fried Bleaks with Mixed Salad or Meatballs in Sauce with Stewed Seasonal Vegetables.

Visiting Porto Ceresio is a wonderful day of tourism around this town there is an inspiring air, Lake Lugano, rolling hills below the Italian-Swiss Pre-Alps, panoramas with wonderful views, images that will remain firmly etched in your pleasant memories.

Link : https://www.comune.portoceresio.va.it/hh/index.php

Where to Stay | Recommended Accomodation

Tropical Home Porto Ceresio

Residenza Lago Sereno