Information- The Island of San Giulio is located a few hundred meters from the town of Orta, and can be reached by boat in just under 10 minutes, at a cost of €5 (return). The boat leaves every quarter of an hour from the pier located in Piazza Motta.
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Geographical description– The Island of San Giulio seems to emerge as if by magic in the center of Lake Orta in the province of Novara, in Piedmont. The pier is just 50 meters from the holiday home on Lake Orta and from here, with a few minutes of navigation, you can reach the island which represents the perfect destination for a trip out of town surrounded by the beauty of lush nature. The Island of San Giulio is a small jewel, just 275 meters long and 140 meters wide, it is characterized by narrow and winding streets, a Basilica, evocative historic buildings and breathtaking views of the lake. A concentration of magic that stands out just 400 meters from the charming village of Orta San Giulio, included in the circuit of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
A bit of history- The first settlements on the Island of San Giulio date back to the Neolithic period. Uninhabited in Roman times, it was then occupied by pre-Christian settlements which contributed to giving the island its current appearance. A first small chapel was built on the Island of San Giulio around the 5th century AD. in honor of San Giulio. The history of the Island of San Giulio is in fact closely intertwined with the saint who gave it its name.
According to legend, before the saint's arrival, the island was infested with reptiles and dragons, so much so that no one had the courage to approach it. When in 390 AD Giulio asked to be taken to the island, no boatman wanted to oblige him for fear of the creatures that lived there. Giulio then spread his cloak on the water and with the help of a stick he sailed to the island, where he chased away all the creatures, thus founding his church.
Legend has it that only one dragon survived and took refuge in a nearby cave, from which it never came out. In this cave a dragon bone was found which is still visible today inside the Basilica of San Giulio.
In the Lombard era a castle was built on the Island of San Giulio, but in 1200 the property passed to the church which demolished the fortress to build a seminary in 1841, which in 1973 was transformed into the Mater Ecclesiae monastery, still in use today, becoming an important cultural center thanks to the presence of laboratories for the processing and restoration of ancient fabrics.
Although very small, it is easy to spend an afternoon wandering around the Island of San Giulio. Pedestrian streets wind past historic buildings, giving visitors ample opportunity to tour medieval structures and more recent villas. Every year, classical music concerts take place in one of the oldest buildings on the Island of San Giulio, the majestic Villa Tallone, allowing visitors to indulge in evenings of wondrous sounds that enhance the charm of the island.
What to see- Among the things to see on the Island of San Giulio, the most important is certainly the Basilica of San Giulio, a suggestive church built in Romanesque style. The entrance for visitors to the basilica is located on the southern side of the church, almost entirely hidden by the ancient Bishop's palace. The church was built in various periods starting from the 9th century, while its bell tower and medieval pulpit date back to the 12th century. Upon entering the Basilica, your attention is immediately captured by the Romanesque ambo, dating back to the year one thousand and made with a particular material, Oira serpentine, a stone with grey-green shades that takes on suggestive iridescent reflections depending on the lighting of the day. The interiors of the Basilica are decorated with a series of very interesting frescoes, created in different eras, from the 14th to the 19th century, although the most striking feature of the church is in the sacristy. A large fossilized vertebra hangs from the vault, the same one that, according to legend, belonged to one of the terrible dragons that San Giulio defeated on the island. Along the perimeter of the Island of San Giulio there is a circular route called Via del Silenzio e della Meditazione and is the best way to explore the Island of San Giulio.
In fact, along the route you come across several signs containing maxims that invite silence: "In silence you accept and understand" or, following the road in the opposite direction, they lead to meditation and inner peace: "If you become what you are, you are everything". Walking along the Via del Silenzio you come across the various villas that stand on the island, such as the Bishops' Palace, located near the Basilica and which, according to tradition, was built on the foundations of the castle where the Lombard dukes lived and the Benedictine Abbey Mater Ecclesiae , where cloistered nuns dedicate themselves to making Pane di San Giulio, a rye dough filled with raisins, dried fruit and fantasy, prepared fresh on the occasion of the saint's feast on January 31st In the abbey on the Island of San Giulio, since 1984, an important restoration activity of ancient fabrics (furnishings, sacred robes, tapestries, etc.) has been carried out which is characterized not only by the professionalism of the restoration, but also by the studies and research in this field. The skilful use of ancient hand looms allows us to produce high quality fabrics. Painting for the production of original icons is also practiced.
The "School of restoration of fabrics and tapestries" on the island is connected to the "Opificio delle pietra dure" in Florence.
Events- Finally, during the Christmas holidays, do not miss the "Islands of Light" event (the event also concerns the islands of Lake Maggiore) during which lighting will be the protagonist on the Island of San Giulio. Palaces and monuments of the island will be enhanced by the light that will illuminate them in the name of festive atmospheres and a magical setting.
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