Arsago Seprio

Arsago Seprio is a town in the province of Varese, located on the brughera in the upper Milan area. The origins of the town date back to the Neolithic and Bronze Age and have developed mainly in the northern part of the municipality. In Roman times, the real settlement with the forum and the market square arose. In the Carolingian age, the presence of the Arnolfi family brought prestige to the town. The most important monument is the Basilica of San Vittore Martire, together with the balustrade of San Giovanni and the bell tower, it represents one of the most illustrious examples of Romanesque architecture in Varese. The exterior of the Basilica is without plaster, the only decorative element are the Czech arches that run through the attic. The interior has a Romanesque basilica layout with a central nave. The imposing apstide of the main nave houses the main altar made by the painter Biagio Bollotti. The bell tower, with a square base, belongs to the group of towers built in Lombardy in the 12th century. In 1892 the bells were increased from 4 to 6 and moved above the tower, the lower part was walled up. The Baptistery of San Giovanni Battista, built in the 12th century, has an octagonal plan with a truncated roof from which a polygonal tower emerges with a covering affected by 16 deep irregular arches, on whose walls there are small windows. The baptismal vessel, which is located inside, is placed in the center and is accessed via 3 steps. Monument of great interest is the Abbey of Santa Maria Monticello which stands on a small hill in Piazza Cavour. Inside there are Romanesque frescoes dated between the 11th and 12th centuries, on the altar there is an eighteenth-century icon depicting the Blessed Virgin nursing the Baby Jesus. The oldest monument kept inside the church is the Carolingian tombstone of an Arnolfo who died in 893. The rural oratory of Saints Cosmo and Damiano, located in the woods outside the town, was built on the model of the Basilica of San Vittore, inside it has a single nave. The civic museum preserves archaeological evidence of the journey of the city. It is divided into various sections based on the historical age. At the entrance of the museum there is the Longobard Necropolis, all the burials found have different characteristics, precious objects have also been found inside. The most heartfelt religious event is that of the Madonna del Rosario, the main attraction of the festival is the palio della cuccagna which takes place in the oratory field of the Basilica of San Vittore.