Twenty three metres high, slightly eerie but nonetheless reassuring, the ancient Buccione Tower represents the lake's oldest surviving sentinel. No doubt you have noticed this sort of "elderly lady" that arouses a feeling of uneasiness and respect…
It has towered over the surrounding territory since it was built in the XII century, during the Middle Ages, in order to check the numbers of people passing through and to exact the due toll for the right of access to the Orta riviera. It has long been thought that the tower may have been of Roman or Longobard origins, though it was actually probably built by the Da Castello counts and served as an invaluable lookout to survey the lake and its surrounding plains.
In fact, people say that on a perfectly clear day its outline may be perceived in the distance from atop the cupola of the church of Saint Gaudenzio in Novara.
If you wish to inaugurate the spring season with a nice walk or cycle on a mountain bike, you can get to the tower along an unpaved trail, which begins at the little car park close to the Corconio quarry, not far from La Darbia. Go through the wood, which belongs to a natural protected area, then climb uphill for about 15 minutes till you reach the top: you will be struck by the most wonderful scenery which embraces the entire coast surrounding Lake Orta with the island of Saint Giulio right there in the middle and majestic Mount Rosain the background.
There are a couple of things I would like to tell you about this ancient tower. There used to be a huge bell situated on the top of the tower which would ring when danger was nigh and all the men in good shape would pick up their arms and come running to the scene. The bell also signalled important moments in the history of Italy: it cheerfully rang, despite being broken, in November of the year 1918 to herald the end of the First World War. After several years and substantial repairs and renovations, the clock, a fine example of 1600s wrought iron, was returned to its place of honour at the top of the tower.
A popular, old legend also tells a tragic story: at the beginning of the fifteen hundreds, Maria Canavesa, a widow, is alleged to have been killed with her son while striking the bell using a hammer to warn the riviera militia of the arrival of Carlo the Fifth's soldiers.
Arrow slits, crossbows and horse-shoes (brought to light during the most recent archeological excavations) remind us of our distant past still full of enchantment.

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Buccione Tower

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The Visconti Castle of Massino is a Middle Age castle located on the Vergante hills in the municipality of Massino Visconti, Province of Novara, Piedmont, northern Italy. Since the 12th century it has been a possession and one of the preferred residences of the Visconti of Milan. At that time it was frequented by the family ancestor of the lords and dukes of Milan. Afterwards its property was transferred to other collateral branches of the lineage, from the initial Visconti di Massino to the current Visconti di San Vito.

The vast view that can be seen from the site of the castle, covering the Lake Maggiore and the territory beyond it, is supposed to be the motivation of the initial interest of the Visconti of Milan, leading them to the acquisition of the Massino court from the Abbey of Saint Gall in 1134.
Location
The Vergante is a semi-mountainous region few kilometres west of the Lake Maggiore. From Massino, 465 m (1,526 ft) above sea level, the view is open over to the lake and to the region beyond it, comprising the Lake of Varese and the smaller Lake of Monate. The territory seen from Massino has always been part of the archdioceses of Milan and includes other sites with Middle Age fortifications: Angera, Arona, Besozzo, Orino and Velate near Varese. Although excluded from it, the site of the castle appears to be a point from where part of the Milanese territory can be controlled.

History
A first mention of a fortification goes back to the 9th century, when Massino became prerogative of Engelberga, wife of the Emperor Louis II of Italy. The settlement was then donated to the monastery of San Sisto in Piacenza, then transferred to the Abbey of Saint Gall. In 1134 Guido Visconti son of Ottone was invested by the Sangalese monks of their properties and rights in Massino. Eight years later the investiture was confirmed by King Conrad III. Since then it has always been a possession of Visconti families.

In 1823 the property of the castle was transferred from the Visconti di Massino (a Visconti cadet branch originated from Ottone, the eldest son of Guido) to the Visconti d'Aragona. In the 20th century it was purchased by the Visconti di San Vito, another Visconti collateral lineage. Part of the furniture and the archive of the Visconti d'Aragona were moved to the Visconti Castle of Somma Lombardo, another estate house of the Visconti di San Vito.

Today
At the beginning of the 20th century the importance of the Visconti Castle in the local history has led the municipality of Massino to rename itself Massino Visconti. The town can be reached by the Genova Voltri-Gravellona Toce highway, Meina exit. After the first houses the castle appears in its imposing dimensions near the church of Santa Maria. Three towers remain of the castle: two of them on both sides of the southern gate, perhaps the original entrance, surmounted by the usual Biscione. At the center of the castle stands the main tower. The courtyard of the castle ends with a terrace towards the village and the Lake Maggiore. On this side stands out a loggia open for public announcements to the village.

Visconti Castle (Massino)

The Rocca Borromeo di Angera, or Rocca d'Angera, also called Borromeo Castle, is a castle that stands on a lakeside hilltop in the limits of the town of Angera in the Province of Varese on the Southern shores of Lago Maggiore. It is visible from across the lake from Arona, where originally stood another castle formerly owned by the Borromeo family.

Before 1227, the castle belonged to the Della Torre family, who lost the possession to the Visconti after the Battle of Desio (1277). In 1449, it passed into the ownership of the Borromeo family. It once belonged to the Visconti family, beginning with Bernabò Visconti and his wife, Beatrice della Scala. but it was purchased by the Borromeo family who expanded and refurbished the castle over the centuries. It still belongs to the Borromeo family. It is best known for it Hall of Justice (Sala di Giustizia) which still contains its original late 13th century depicting the victory of Ottone Visconti, archbishop of Milan, at the Battle of Desio. The castle suffered damage during bombardment in the second world war.

The castle also contains a Museo della Bambola (Doll Museum), founded in 1988 by the wish of Princess Bona Borromeo Arese, and displays over a thousand dolls made between the 18th century and the present day.

Rocca Borromeo di Angera

Il castello di Barengo, sorge sul rilievo collinare alle spalle dell'abitato, in posizione sopraelevata sulla circostante pianura, lungo la strada che in origine univa la via Francigena con i guadi sul fiume Sesia.

Non esistono testimonianze certe sulla sua fondazione; la prima documentazione sulla presenza di un "castrum" risale al trecento, quando l'intero abitato di Barengo venne traslocato dalla riva dell'Agogna fino a ridosso della collina. Protetto dalle fortificazioni il paese resistette alle devastazioni e ai saccheggi durante le guerre tra Giovanni II del Monferrato e Galeazzo Visconti negli anni 1358 e 1362.

La costruzione della rocca è contemporanea a quella del castello di Briona e risale alla seconda metà del XV secolo, quando i territori di Briona, Barengo e Maggiora divennero feudo dei Tornielli (1449). Il conte Giovanni Zanardo iniziò l'edificazione, proseguita dal figlio Melchiorre, di una nuova dimora signorile fortificata all'interno del "castrum" trecentesco, occupando un terzo della superficie. L'edificio, sorto sul lato nord, fu concepito sia in funzione militare sia per essere una piacevole residenza di campagna del suo signore; realizzato quasi interamente in mattoni, aveva pianta trapezoidale con i lato est e ovest paralleli e quello meridionale inclinato per permettere un maggior soleggiamento degli ambienti interni; sul lato occidentale rivolto alla collina era munito di due torri angolari, oggi scomparse; l'ingresso si trovava a nord-est, protetto da un fossato, e vi si accedeva attraverso un ponte levatoio.

Alla morte di Melchiorre, nel 1487, la proprietà non passo al primogenito Manfredo, come il castello di Briona, ma fu divisa tra i figli cadetti.

L'originaria struttura quattrocentesca ha subito numerose modifiche ed alterazioni nel corso dei secoli e già all'inizio dell'Ottocento era parzialmente in rovina. Nel 1849 la rocca fu sottoposta ad un'opera di restauro che ne alterò l'impianto originario. Nel primo dopoguerra la proprietà passò al conte Gaudenzio Tornielli di Borgolavezzaro che commissionò all'architetto Carlo Nigra la ricostruzione del complesso secondo i canoni stilistici del medioevo. Ulteriori restauri furono eseguiti in seguito dalla famiglia Boroli, attuali proprietari. Nonostante le ricostruzioni rimangono tuttavia parecchie testimonianze della costruzione originaria, come i muri degli spalti, le fondamenta e alcune porte d'ingresso.

Sul lato meridionale, racchiuso nelle mura perimetrali, si trova un ampio giardino con piante secolari.
La villa
Al complesso del castello appartiene anche il palazzo-villa che sorge alla base della rocca, di fianco alla chiesa parrocchiale, che fu un tempo dimora del ramo cadetto dei Tornielli. L'edificio ha forma rettangolare, diviso su tre piani e solai, con ampio cortile centrale. Sul lato orientale si trova un loggiato formato da tre campate mentre all'angolo sud-est si trova una piccola torre colombaia. L'aspetto attuale è dovuto principalmente agli interventi di restauro settecenteschi.