HISTORY    

Laveno, Mombello Lago Maggiore and Cerro Lago Maggiore were joined together in the Commune of Laveno Mombello by Royal Decree on 19/12/1927. The town located in the province of Varese, at 200 mt above sea level, covers an area of 25 square kilometres and has a population of about 1 0,000 inhabitants. It is one of the most important tourist resorts of Lake Maggiore as well as a renowned cultural and historical centre. In addition to Laveno, Mombello and Cerro, the town includes other urban centres such as Cere!solo and Ponte and is surrounded by hill-side villages such as Cascine (490 mt), Monteggia (394 mt), Montecristo, Brena (334 mt) and Casere (768 mt) offering a picturesque view of the lake. Laveno Mombello, which is the main tourist area on the eastern bank of the lake and is well-known for its ceramics factories, has, over the last decades, addl~ to its popularity thanks to its many important cultural and tourist initiatives, also favoured by its mild climate and the be'auty of its landscape as in the case of its charming sheltered bay. The earliest historic remains of Mombello are represented by traces of primitive sites, such as the remnants of pile-dwellings, dating back to 3,000 b.C., which have been found in the sheltered hilly area called "Torbiera". The settlements of Laveno and Cerro are to be traced back to a more rec'3J1t age. In the case of Laveno, the town is said to have Roman origins. As a matter of fact it appears that it derives its name from the Roman general Labieno, who contrasted the Gauls on the highland constituting the most ancient part of the town, Mombello (the origin of the word is actually supposed to be "Mons belli" that is Latin for "The mount of the batlle"). After the Roman domination Laveno and Mombello were subdued by the Longobards and the Francs and later took part in the "Seprio Committee". In medieval ages they were annexed to the domains of the powerful families of the time, in turn by the Visconti, Sforza, Borromeo and eventually Besozzi. Following the spanish domination, Laveno was conquered by the Austrians, whose rule continued well after the Napoleon conquest Laveno also became an important trade ce!ntre and besides being a village of fishermen and farmers, by 1800 it already had its own cereals market which soon developped to be the most important point of reference for the Milan area, the neighbouring Swiss cantons and the other lake towns. Its weekly market, taking place on Tuesdays, is the present day legacy of this old cereals market. It is arourld this period, 1856, that a flourishing glassworks factory was founded close by the lake; under Carnelli, Caspani and Revelli, it was turned into a ceramics factory and later grew to such an extent that it brought to the creation of four industrial complexes, three of which, "Lago", "Ponte" and 'Verbano" were called "Societa Ceramica Italiana", later changed to "Richard Ginori", and finally to "Pozzi Ginori": and the fourth, called "Revelli", which was established as a separate factory. This was the start of a flourishing ceramics industrial production that despite the "Revelli" and the "Lago" plants having been closed down and the "Verbano" factory having been trasformed into a workers' cooperative, has survived to these days despite the crisis of the Seventies and Eighties. In the Nineties the "Ponte" plant was turned to the production of the Bone China, a novelty which has brightened up the future of the local industry, thus giving birth to a handicraft type of production based on fine artistry products. Going back to the 19 century, on 30 May 1859 Laveno was the site of h~;torical events: Giuseppe Garibaldi's troops were twice defeated and forced to retreat by the Austrian Army, who lay in alnbush in the forts by the lake, the first time on water and the second time ~ land. These battles are witnessed today by the Charnel-house by the Castle Fort, which was visited by Garibaldi himself at the end of the war, as well as by the for on the bank towards Cerro (which is now private propriety) and the barracks on the headland called S.Michele, which 1I0wadays is occupied by the "East Verbano Sailing Club". It is at Cerro and Ceresolo, rather than Laveno, that the fishing activity has lingered on over the years. Today these two villages have become interesting tourist resorts, the natural beauty of which was appreciated by the Counts Stampa, who established their residence at Gattirolo, and by Alessandro Manzoni, who spent a long period of time in this area. The cloister of Cerro, with its arcades made of granite from Baveno, which can be found in the Perabo Palace, today hosting the "Civica Raccolta di Terraglia" is one of the historical monuments of Laveno which has been restored to its former beauty thanks to interventions by the council administrations succeded over the last 20 years. The "Civica Raccolta di Terraglia" is a standing exibition where it is possible to admire a collection of fine ceramics made in Laveno by those who, in many year's hard work and dedication have contributed to Laveno's renown as "the land of ceramics". At Ceresolo the old 11 century church dedicated to St. Defendente, with its Romanesque steeple, has recently been refurbished. At Laveno one can visit the church "S.Maria in Ca' Deserta" with its baroque wooden altar: the ancient Parish church, the chapel which used to belong to a noble family from Laveno: anclthe church of "SS.Filippo e Giacomo" with its pointed steeple which can be seen from a distance. At Mombello, worthyof mention are: the Oratory of "St.Maria di Corte" belonging to the 12 -13 century painted with 16 century frescoes, which has recently been restored; the Fortress of Mombello: the ancient Oratory of S.Michele, which was used as a lazaretto during the plague of 1600 and was rebuilt in 1727 as is witnessed by the inscription inside the church: the old altar, perhaps belonging to the Longobard period, which can be seen outside the very same church: the Parish church of S.Stefano at the centre of the village, inside which can be seen the presbytery, wholly covered in frescoes bya 17 century painter, maybe the painter De Advocatis, who in 1612 painted a chapel in the Sanctuary of S.Caterina del Sasso Ballaro, an important monument situated at about 10 km from Laveno Mombello. Laveno today is an important passage-way for tourists travelling to Switzerland or crossing over to the Piedmont side of the lake. Laveno is serviced by two railways: terminus of the North Milan Railway and station of transit for the State Railway connecting Gallarate-Milano to Layeno-Novara and Laveno-Luino-Bellinzona. The ferry-boats of "Navigazione Lago Maggiore" guarantee steady water connections between Laveno and the Novara area, thus bringing the villages on either side of the lake within an easy reach As to road communications, Laveno is joined to Switzerland via Luino and to Sesto Calende via Angera; it has easy connections to Varese, to Milan, through the Milano-Alessandria motor-way,and to the international traffic beyond the Alps t,y means of the Voltri-Sempione motor-way. In the 70's and 80's Laveno was turned into a kind of movie town by the 10C!11 actor Renato Pozzetto who chose it as the stage for many of his films. With Renato Pozzetto came film-makers and artists who have made the beauty of the town and its lake known internationally. Laveno numbers among its inhabitants famous sportsmen such as the many times sailing world champion Tiziano Nava, who has taken part in the "American Cup" competition three times, as well as boat-racing champions and cycling, motor- bike and rock-climbing champions. Also worth mentioning are the artists who have made for the renown of the Laveno production of chinaware. From Laveno it is possible to reach the top of Mount Sasso del Ferro by means of a cableway. Here, at Poggio S.Elsa, at over 1,000 mt above sea level, is a hotel which has 18 rooms offering a breath-taking view over the green vallies and the lakes of the Varese and Novara regions, stretching beneath, against the back-drop of Mounts Rosa, Mottarone, Zeda, Umidario and the hill of Campo dei Fiori. Since the 70's the Sasso del Ferro mountain top has become the stamping-ground of the lovers of "free flying" activities, such as hang-gliding and parachuting, who at weekends take off from here in hundreds and constitute an irresistible tourist attraction. Turning our look again to the view below, it is possible to make out Mombello, beautifully set on its emerald-green hill, enclosed among stretches of woods and rolling fields; the gorgeous cove of Cerro with its beach, the home-town of futurist Russolo and seat of the famous pottery museum: and, just below us, amo~~ the hills that smoothly descend into the lake, is Laveno with its bay and its lake dotted with sales and ploughed by the ferries allowing for transport to the opposite bank. Thanks to the determination and friendly character of its inhabitants Laveno is bound to prove untrue that old commonplace which wants this side of