What to see and what to do in Dormelletto

Dormelletto is a town in the province of Novara overlooking the most southerly part of the Piedmont coast of Lake Maggiore. In fact, it is bordered by Arona and Castelletto Ticino, the last lake municipality, from where the Ticino river, the only outlet of Lake Maggiore, is generated.

Dormelletto is a popular summer destination due to the presence of many camping sites surrounded by nature on the shores of Lake Maggiore. The town and the historical locality "Dormello" are historically famous in the world of horse racing for the breeding of race horses: the breed Dormello-Olgiata belong specimens known as Nearco, Bellini, Donatello II and "the horse of the century" Ribot.

For several years, particularly since the 1930s, Dormelletto and Dormello have been considered the center of world horse racing: 80% of the world's galloping horses came from the Dormelletto breeding grounds. It is no coincidence that the coat of arms of the Municipality bears witness to the link with the world of horse racing: it is formed by a galloping horse and the cross of Sant'Andrea (red on a white field), which has become one of the symbols of the Italian rescue in the world on the backs of jockeys.

In Dormelletto there are protected natural areas where you can enjoy a walk in nature or a guided tour of history, science or nature: Examples are the Special Nature Reserve of the Dormelletto Reed Beds and the Lagoni Natural Park of Mercurago, one of the prehistoric pile-dwelling sites around the Alps, since 2011 included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

What should be seen and visited in Dormelletto

Special Nature Reserve of the “Canneti di Dormelletto”

Also known simply as Canneti di Dormelletto, it is a protected natural area of almost 158 hectares that since 1993 has been integrated into the Lagoni Natural Park of Mercurago.

It was created by the Piedmont region to maintain a rare wetland habitat. Together with those of Fondotoce, the Dormelletto Reed Beds represent one of the last examples of the Novara area of transition between land and water with prevalent spontaneous vegetation, made up of reeds. Besides the Villa Tesio, the region has a very artificial environment.

Despite being a protected area, inside there are campsites and bathing facilities equipped for tourist reception, concentrated around the beach of Pirolino. The wet environment of the reeds and the adjacent wooded area create a specific habitat for fish species (pike and carp lay their eggs in the reeds) as well as for the nesting and wintering of numerous ornithological species (more than 120 different species have been recorded).

In the area there is a white willow that, in early 2018, was included in the national list of monumental trees.

Natural Park of the “Lagoni di Mercurago”

The Park of "Lagoni di Mercurago" is a lot bigger, covering about 473 hectares.

Since 1980 the park has been a protected natural area and in 2011 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, among the 111 prehistoric pile-dwelling sites located around the Alps.
It offers a variety of ecosystems: a wetland, rich in ponds, peat bogs and swamps, and many meadows and pastures used for several decades in the breeding of racing horses thanks to Federico Tesio.

The main access is that of the headquarters and the visitor center, in via Gattico 6 in Mercurago, a hamlet of Arona but there is also another access from Dormelletto in via Lagone.

The area is announced by a series of signs (brown with white writing) and offers several parking spaces for cars. In the wetland area of the park, various animal species such as birds of prey, mustelids, rodents, amphibians (red frog, green frog, tree frog and toads) find asylum, as well as 113 species of migratory and sedentary birds.

In addition to its naturalistic and environmental interest, the Parco dei Lagoni di Mercurago offers a prehistoric and archaeological heritage. In fact, several settlements dating back to the Bronze Age and some Roman domus have been found. In 1860, for the first time in Italy, the remains of some pile dwellings (wooden decks and poles sunk in silt and peat), a dugout dug out of a trunk, ceramic pots, remains of wheels of farm wagons and a fighting chariot, hairpins, daggers, a sword and a bronze spearhead.

Some of these discoveries are conserved at ArcheoMuseo in Arona and are still under consideration.

Villa Tesio

In 1898 Federico Tesio decided to settle in those lands overlooking Lake Maggiore near what today corresponds to the municipality of Dormelletto. A place at the time highly sought after as a holiday destination for the elite.

With time, Tesio realized that the region had two major priorities: the wet environment and the dry soil, perfect to build a horse farm. Thus was born the Tesio Stable, the largest in Italy, to which was linked the fame of the "Wizard of Dormello", initiator in the field of competitive horse breeding of that scientific approach aimed at research and selective testing of breeds. The coat of arms of the stable was the cross of Saint André. It was precisely from these studies that the infamous "Dormello-Olgiata" breed was born, resulting from the company that in the thirties Federico Tesio founded with the breedings of Mario Incisa Della Rocchetta. To this breed belonged horses like Nearco, Bellini, Donatello II and Ribot, "the horse of the century", absolute ruler of the world horse races in the 1950s.

It was a pity that Federico Tesio was unable to admire his perfect creature. Born in 1952 by Tenerani and Romanelle, he was seen by Tesio as unsuitable: short tail, long head, a small structure so that in 1954 he did not enter him in the derby. This was a joke! That year, Federico Tesio died without having seen his most perfect creature race. From London to the United States, from Paris to the San Siro racecourse in Milan where, in October 1956, Ribot ended a dazzling career that saw him compete 16 times and triumph 16 times: the only undefeated horse in the history of horse racing.

Dormello-Olgiata continued to churn out samples even afterwards. Today Villa Tesio and its stables still stand where they were born: plowing the green meadows around the villa there are some broodmares and some racing foals. The gate of Villa Tesio, visible on the right for those traveling along the Sempione state road towards Arona, a few kilometers before the inter-municipal border, announces the long avenue flanked by a double row of cypresses beyond which there are meadows and fences that draw enchanting rural views inhabited by horses.

It is possible to reach by car and then on foot some of the farmhouses where the tradition introduced by Federico Tesio is still alive today.

Church of the “Madonna della Fontana”

The Church of the Visitation on Via Monte Rosa is more commonly referred to as the Ask of the Madonna della Fontana. It was built in 1329.

Its name is linked to an ancient legend: once the water that arrived in the village gushes from a water source below to flow into a wash-house; it offered drinks to residents and travelers, was used for cooking, washing and watering livestock. A ladle still preserved today was used for water extraction. During a long period of pestilence this source was the only one that remained active: that is why the faithful wanted to build a church in correspondence to this place considered miraculous.

Inside the church it is possible to admire a small fresco of the Madonna with Child Jesus, the statue of the Madonna Assunta and the Visitation of the Virgin to Santa Elisabetta and Zaccaria.

What to do in and around Dormelletto

• go to the beach: Dormelletto boasts several beaches and near the main outlets on Lake Maggiore there are the main campsites: such as the Smeraldo Camping, the Lago Azzurro Camping, the Lago Maggiore Camping Village or the Rose Camping. At the campsites, you can also find lodging in lodges or safari tents. Some beaches (for example, at the public beach of Pirolino that is partly equipped with an access area for dogs) have the possibility to rent sun loungers and umbrellas. At Alice Beach Lago Maggiore there is equipment to rent and a kiosk / bar; there is also a private area reserved for the customers of Camping Village Lago Maggiore, where it is also possible to rent kayaks or pedal boats
• visit nearby cities: in fact, Dormelletto is about 36 km from Novara, 30 km from Varese and Milan-Malpensa Airport and 56 km from Milan. Arona is located just 3 km north along the Simplon SS33, while the beautiful Stresa is 21 km on the same road
• take a boat trip: the “Navigazione Laghi” boats leave from Arona and Stresa to reach the Borromean Islands and the Lombard shore of Lake Maggiore with destinations such as the Rocca di Angera or the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso
• reach the summit of Mount Mottarone in a 50-minute journey from Dormelletto via the A26 dei Trafori motorway and the E62
• take a tour of the nearby Lake Orta with the picturesque town of Orta San Giulio which can be reached with the SP229 in 27 km
• explore the Ticino River Park and visit the Panperduto di Somma Lombardo dam, reachable in just 16 km from Dormelletto
• reach by car Sesto Calende and Angera, on the Lombard shore of Lake Maggiore, respectively in 7 and 13 km

Tips about where to sleep in Dormelletto

These are just some of the accommodation facilities in Dormelletto. You can find all the hotels, B & Bs and campsites where you can spend a stay or a holiday in Dormelletto on Lake Maggiore here.

How to get to Dormelletto

• by car: from Milan just take the A26 dei Trafori and exit at Castelletto Ticino or Arona. Afterwards it is necessary to take the SS33 del Sempione and follow the signs that lead to Dormelletto in a few minutes by road
• by train: it is also possible to reach Dormelletto by train through the Milan-Domodossola railway lines (Corso Cavour station) and Milan-Santhià (Via Marconi station)