Carlo Nigra (1856 - 1942), Architect, eclectic and polyhedral figure, chose Miasino and the charm of Lake Orta for his studies, his experimentations and his adventures. This allowed him to follow up the seventeenth-century tradition of spending the holidays on the eastern shore of Cusio, which was born after Manzoni’s plague and saw many noble families of Milan build villas and palaces right here, later used as resorts on the lake. This tradition is also tied to that cultured and wealthy class which lived the age of the ancient Riviera d’Orta (shore of Orta): an autonomous government entity recognized as a kind of “Guelph republic” from 1219 to 1767.
Carlo Nigra was a pioneer in many arts and tested himself in many disciplines: he was the first, on the territory, to own a car, in particular one of the only six models of Welleyes on 1896; he was a founder of Automobile Club of Turin; he took part in sail boat races on the lake; he made many drawings and took many pictures pictures which awarded him international prizes; he was a musician, an historian, a restorer and a mountaineer.
A lover of art, architecture and archeology, Nigra was one of the very first to understand the importance of the territory, of the landscape, of the rural architecture and of all of those aspects that are summarized today as “cultural asset”.
An amazing curiosity, which underlines how much Carlo Nigra understood the importance of protecting the local traditions and acknowledging the large intangible patrimony of our territory, is for sure the school of embroidery which he founded together with his wife in Antronapiana, with the purpose of enhancing and conveying the “punto puncetto” (punch stitch), which taked the name of risèla in Valle Antrona.
By connecting planning, restoration and history of architecture, Carlo Nigra worked mainly on Lake Orta, taking base in the large house of 5-600’ in Miasino, previously owned by the Martelli family, known today as Villa Nigra. Architect Nigra crossed these places and surely added another layer to the cultural landscape on the eastern shore, modifying the territory and shaping the landscape, which we can still observe today.
The itinerary “Carlo Nigra trail” connects the towns of Orta San Giulio, Miasino and Ameno across a path enclosed in nature, among important historic evidences and panoramic views on the basin of Lake Orta.
in Orta:
- the basilica of San Giulio on the island, restored by architect Nigra in a “medieval” style, following the one considered “original” of the place;
- the parish church of Orta, whose facade was designed by architect Nigra in “barocchino” style;
- the Sacro Monte di Orta, subject of restorations and studies;
in Miasino:
- Villa Nigra and its garden, an asset of regional importance, residence of the Nigra family and used today as a place for events and exhibits;
- Giardino dei Semplici: a garden with more than one hundred varieties of aromatic and officinal plants, among the rarest;
- the churc of San Rocco, for which architect Nigra designed the facade;
In Ameno:
- Villa Monte Oro and its park, a project of architect Nigra following the eclectic style of that period with an exquisite botanic park;
- the neogothic Park Tornielli, public park in the center of Ameno.
Trail planned by ITINERARIUM® with the collaboration of Asilo Bianco for the project “Lago d’Orta Moving Connections”, in network with Fondazione CROSS EPS, municipality of Orta San Giulio and Miasino, connected to the Interreg project Italy-Switzerland “Di-Se - DiSegnare il territorio” (draw the territory) of Asilo Bianco, Associazione Musei d’Ossola, Museumzentrum La Caverna di Naters.
Traveled on: Mar 15th, 2023
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