Piazza Mario Motta

Orta San Giulio


Here's a picture of how life really should be lived: rise early and head for a coffee on Piazza Mario Motta, gazing across at the sun-struck Isola San Giulio in the early-morning quiet. From your vantage point, contemplate the Palazzotto, a squat, fresco-enlivened structure sitting atop pillars like giant stilts at the northern end of the square.

Once the seat of a local council, the Palazzotto now occasionally opens for temporary exhibitions, but climb the stairs anyway for good views. The square burbles with local life on market day (Wednesday).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Orta San Giulio attractions

1. Orta San Giulio

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Overlooking the forest-lined banks of the shimmering Lake Orta, this shore-hugging village has abundant allure. It occupies a kidney-shaped peninsula with…

2. Chiesa dell'Assunta

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A short walk uphill from the Piazza Mario Motta on the waterfront, this church dates back to the 15th century, though it was rebuilt in the 1700s. It has…

3. Sacro Monte di San Francesco

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Beyond the lush gardens and residences that mark the hill rising behind Orta is a kind of parallel ‘town’ – the sacro monte, where 20 small chapels…

4. Isola San Giulio

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