Unesco Sites

Varese is the territory that counts the highest number of places of international interest in Lombardy, with four UNESCO World Heritage sites. A richness combining art and nature.

NUMBER

FIRST UNESCO ASSIGNMENT

1979

PREHISTORICAL SITES

NON-MATERIAL HERITAGE

A pile-dwelling site, an area that witnesses the passage of Longobards in Italy, a Sacred Mount and paleontological heritages stretching between Italy and Switzerland. True marvels of our territory.

Relevant monumental and historic findings label Varese’s lands among the major sites under UNESCO protection in the Region. Santa Maria del Monte is an impressive village embedded in the Regional Park Campo dei Fiori. With its Sanctuary and the “Via Sacra” of chapels representing the Sacred Rosary, it is a renowned site for the Marian cult.

Valceresio hosts Monte San Giorgio’s transnational paleontological district, divided between Italy and Switzerland, representing the major witness of a geological history dating 230-245 million years; thousands fossils found since Nineteenth century allowed the study of the evolution of some animal and vegetal species.

The Isolino Virginia, with its characteristic triangular 9200 square km form, is an island located few meters from the shores of Municipality Biandronno; since 1963, it is one of the most famous European Pre-historic sites, with the most ancient Neolithic on-lake settlements.

In Valle Olona, in the Municipality of Castelseprio, visitors can discover the ruins of ancient Sibrio and the history of Longobard settlements. The Castrum of Castelseprio is built on the foundations of the homonym fortified settlement and of its village, not far from Church Santa Maria Foris Portas. Belonging to the same archaeological unicum, the worthy Abbey of Torba as well, managed by organization FAI.