On the shores of the pretty little lake named after it, Mergozzo welcomes you to Ossola, with its natural scenery and history. This enchanting little town, awarded with the Touring Club Italiano Orange Flag, is a popular holiday resort from the spring season onwards.
Mergozzo, historically the gateway to the Ossola Valley, is one of the most beautiful lakeside towns in the area, on the shores of Lake Mergozzo. Now separated from Lake Maggiore by a narrow strip of land, in reality it was originally its westernmost part: the frequent floods of the River Toce over the centuries have formed a strip of land that still divides the two lakes.
The heart of Mergozzo, with its narrow streets formed by stone houses crowded one against another, is the central square dominated by a centuries-old elm tree, the authentic symbol of the town: according to historical documents, the tree was already growing here in the 1600s and now, completely hollow, it is recognised as one of the monumental trees of Piedmont.
Mergozzo is the site of ancient settlements, as demonstrated by the abundant material in the collection of the Municipal Archaeological Museum, where remains dating from prehistoric times up to the early Middle Ages are displayed; it is also a land of stone, since for centuries white Montorfano granite and pink Candoglia marble have been quarried there, the latter also used to build Milan’s cathedral. To honour this tradition, of which the inhabitants are very proud, a Granite Eco-museum, recognised by the Piedmont Region in 2007, has been set up in Mergozzo.
