Information about Civiasco in the Province of Vercelli
A pretty town in the Valsesia, it is situated above Varallo at 716 m above sea level and is the place where our valley and the lake Orta area meet. It can be reached from the panoramic route through the Colma pass.
The historic centre has many perfectly preserved buildings in Hispanic-Moorish style (XVIII century) which blend in well with the Valsesian architectural style of others; the many decorated fountains, public wash-houses and sundials on the facades of various buildings are worth note.
At the Town Hall it is possible to visit, after advance booking, the Civic Museum “Ercole Durio da Roc” containing collections of local interest, coins and ancient weapons, paintings by local artists, costumes, lace, and traditional furnishings of the valley.
The Parish church of Saint Gothard built in 1600, with the vaults frescoed by Carlo Penna of Camasco and the oratories of San Rocco (1624) at the entrance to the town, San Carlo built at the end of the 1600s in Piandellavalle with paintings attributed to Antonio Orgiazzi and the sanctuary of the SS. Maria dei Sette Dolori in Frassineto (XVIII sec.) are worth visiting.
Around the town there are a variety of paths marking itineraries of varying difficulty and duration which may be made on foot or by bike. One of the typical local products is the canestrini, biscuits which are distributed each year during the traditional Sagra dei Canestrini on the 15th August.
Other important dates are Civiasco in Fiore, in May; the Festa degli Alpini, on the last Sunday of July at the amusement park “La Valle”; the sacred representation around the streets of the town of the Living crib on the night of Christmas Eve.
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