On the Sempione Road: Domodossola

Let’s discover this city, a crucial hub for crossing between the two slopes of the Alps.

Domodossola is a charming town with a distinct medieval appearance, and it is the main city of the Ossola Valley (Piedmont).

It is located on the alluvial plain of the Bogna stream, with its territory ranging between 238 and 2635 meters above sea level. As a result, the city enjoys an alpine climate, with cold winters and mild summers.

Domodossola first appears in history under the name Oksela Lepontiorum, as it was, according to the geographer Claudius Ptolemy, the capital of the Lepontii, a Celtic tribe settled in the central-western Alps. Over time, it was referred to by different names: Oxilla, Domus Oxile, Burgus Domi, Burgus Domi Ossule, Domiossola, Duomo d’Ossola, Domo d’Ossola, and finally, Domodossola. The city owes its name to the fact that, in the Early Middle Ages, it was the only parish (hence “duomo”) in the Ossola Valley.

Piazza del Mercato is the symbol of the city and is characterized by its porticoes, which support the noble houses with balconies and loggias from the 15th and 16th centuries. The capitals of the columns are finely sculpted and feature the coats of arms of the various Ossola noble families.

The granting of the weekly market to Domodossola is said to have been made by Emperor Berengar I on December 19, 917. However, it is historically certain that the market was already present during the time of the Lepontii.

Few traces remain today of the pentagonal walls that surrounded the town of Domodossola from the 14th century.

Among the oldest districts is La Motta, and along Via Carina, one can admire houses with larch balconies, a clear testament to the Walser influence.

The most important center of city life is Piazza Fontana, with a central octagonal fountain and an obelisk. A larger obelisk is located at the center of Piazza Chiossi.

The Collegiate Church of Saints Gervasius and Protasius is considered a national monument. It was rebuilt between 1792 and 1798 according to the design of architect Matteo Zucchi, replacing a previous church from the 15th century. The church consists of three naves with six chapels, in addition to the main altar, and is distinguished by its wealth of gilded details and stuccoes. In 1954, the façade was completed according to a design by architect Giovanni Greppi, highlighting the small Baroque-style portico as well as the Romanesque portal, which dates back to the ancient collegiate church and was discovered during the reconstruction work.

In the left nave, there is an architrave in serpentine stone depicting Charlemagne receiving the oriflamme, the red royal banner, along with a scene of the Battle of Roncevaux.

Most of the interior artworks are attributed to the painter Lorenzo Peretti, while an altarpiece depicting "Saint Charles giving Communion to the Plague Victims" is attributed to the painter Tanzio da Varallo and is placed in the chapel dedicated to Saint Charles Borromeo.

The magnificent organ, located above the entrance, was created by the Bernasconi family, a renowned dynasty of organ builders.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Snow in Domodossola is a building from the first half of the 17th century, designed by master Bernardino Lazzaro from Val d'Intelvi. The image of the "Madonna and Child" above the altar dates back to 1372 and is frescoed on a wall made of river pebbles. Above the entrance door, in the atrium of the Sanctuary, the painter Carlo Mellerio frescoed, in 1674, the miracle of the summer snowfall on Esquilino Hill in Rome.

The Church of San Quirico is located in the southern part of Domodossola on a rocky spur at the foot of Mattarella Hill, the hill that hosts the famous Sacred Mount Calvary of Domodossola, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to tradition, the Church of San Quirico was one of the sacred buildings constructed by Saints Julius of Orta and Julian of Gozzano and is considered one of the oldest churches in the Ossola Valley, dating back to the 11th century. The interior has a rectangular floor plan and consists of a single nave with a semicircular apse. Although it has undergone several renovations over the centuries, it still maintains its Romanesque appearance.

The Church of San Brizio is dedicated to Saint Brice of Tours. It has three naves, and the main altar, made of polychrome marble, is in the Baroque style. Inside, there are valuable works attributed to Tanzio da Varallo, the school of Giovanni Battista Crespi, known as "Il Cerano," and Giuseppe Mattia Borgnis. Its bell tower dates back to the 11th century and still retains traces of the medieval period.

Palazzo Silva is considered a national monument and is located in the historic center of the city. It is one of the best examples of a Renaissance-style noble house and now houses the "Museo di Palazzo Silva," which hosts Etruscan and Roman artifacts, wooden sculptures, fragments of Egyptian mummies, armor, local costumes, and artworks from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

Palazzo Mellerio is named after the politician and count Giacomo Mellerio, Grand Chancellor of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. It was in this palace that the first classical high school in the Ossola Valley was founded. Later, Count Mellerio ceded the palace and the direction of the gymnasium to Abbot Antonio Rosmini, who added a school. Eventually, the palace was given to the town.

Palazzo San Francesco is an ancient building in the historic center of the city, built on the site of a church dating back to the 13th century. It now houses the Gian Giacomo Galletti Civic Museums.

The Mellerio-Rosmini College is dedicated to the Blessed Antonio Rosmini and is home to the Museum of Natural Sciences, as well as a rich library. It is located in front of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Snow.

Domodossola is the focal point of the Ossola Valley, as its proximity to Switzerland and the opening of the Simplon Tunnel have significantly boosted the development of trade and tourism.

Photo: A glimpse of the center of Domodossola (from distrettolaghi.it)