Gignese: Churches, Hiking Route and Umbrella Museum
Accommodation in Gignese
Gignese combines historic churches, the Museo dell’Ombrello e del Parasole, a hiking route and various destinations in the surrounding area. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Gignese, you can plan your stay around local history, the museum’s theme, active pursuits and excursions. The options range from sacred architecture and frescoes to mountains, beaches and a traditional golf club.
File:Gignese Edicola votiva Madonna de La Salette.jpg
Photo: Francoerbi via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hiking Route and Local History
The Itinerario Stresa - Gignese (VL3) is classified as a hiking route of difficulty level E. For your personal planning, this classification provides important guidance if you are planning to include a hike as part of your trip. The route thus provides a distinct focus alongside the town’s cultural attractions.
Churches with Architectural History and Art
The Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Maurizio is located above Gignese. It can be reached via a broad staircase made of pink Baveno granite, built in the 1960s. The present church was built between 1707 and 1725 on the remains of a predecessor building with two naves, probably dating from the 15th century. The bell tower and a side chapel from this earlier building have been preserved.
The pronaos of San Maurizio, added in 1829, was decorated with frescoes by the painter Andrea Francinetti, who came from Gignese. Together with his son Giovanni, Francinetti created numerous other murals in the surrounding area. The Chiesa di San Rocco also contains a small 18th-century organ made by the organ builder Brunelli and restored in the 1980s.
The Chiesa Parrocchiale dei SS. Giovanni e Paolo was built around 1790 in the Corinthian style. The plot had already been donated in 1781 by don Carlo Bartolomeo De Antonis from Vezzo.
Holiday Apartment in Gignese with Museum and Excursion Destinations
A particular highlight is the Museo dell’Ombrello e del Parasole. It houses around 1,500 items, including handles, shafts, umbrellas and parasols. The museum traces the development of the fashions that have influenced the style of these accessories from the 19th century to the present day. It was founded in 1939 and has been located in its permanent building since 1976; the building’s shape is modeled on three umbrellas arranged side by side.
The surrounding area of Gignese is home to the Villa San Remigio palace, the Museo Internazionale Design Ceramico museum, the Palazzo Flaim palace and the Museo Meina museum. These destinations complement the churches and the Umbrella Museum with additional cultural and historical themes, without Gignese itself losing its own distinctive focus.
Landscape between Summit, Beach and Golf
The Monte Mazzarone summit is located in the immediate vicinity of Gignese. The Spiaggia dei Caravalle and Spiaggia del Sasso Cavallazzo beaches are also nearby. Another destination in the area is the Funivia del Sasso del Ferro viewpoint.
The Golf Club Alpino Di Stresa is situated on a natural terrace between Gignese and Vezzo; the first work began in 1924. When choosing your holiday apartment in Gignese, you can use your preferred daily rhythm as a guide: the churches and museum represent cultural discoveries, the hiking route an active outing, and the surrounding destinations a variety of excursion interests.
Further places for planning your trip: Agrano, Premia, Baveno, Mergozzo, Ghiffa, Trarego Viggiona, Traffiume and Vignone.
To the higher-level travel overview: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.
