Discover Taino: Park, Culture and Landscape
Accommodation in Taino
Taino between Park, Culture and Landscape
Taino combines a park designed by Giò Pomodoro with light phenomena, the parish church of Santo Stefano Protomartire, and trails through woodland, terraces and vineyards. The Museo di Taino also presents former occupations, while two chapels from the 17th and 9th centuries stand in Cheglio.
Parco di Taino is a public park in the centre of Taino. Giò Pomodoro designed it between 1981 and 1991. From there, visitors can enjoy views of Lake Maggiore and Monte Rosa.
Parco di Taino and the View of Lake Maggiore
The parish church of Santo Stefano Protomartire is nicknamed “il dumin”. The Luogo dei quattro punti cardinali uses light and shadow. On 21 June, sunlight passes through a slit in the central tall pillar and projects light onto the fallen pillar. The shadow effects of the Luogo dei quattro punti cardinali also indicate the winter solstice and the spring and autumn equinoxes. For observing the sun’s path, 21 June is a specific reference date; the other markings correspond to these turning points of the year.
Trails through Woodland, Terraces and Vineyards
The Anello delle Castagne is 13 kilometres long, takes 3 hours and 30 minutes, and has a medium difficulty level. Between Sesto Calende and Taino, it runs mostly along paths through forests of oak, chestnut, hornbeam and Scots pine in Parco del Ticino. In Taino, the Sentiero del Verbano leads to old agricultural terraces, vineyards and chestnut woods. Those planning the route can factor its duration and medium difficulty level into their daily schedule as two fixed parameters. The trails highlight different landscapes: the Anello focuses on woodland areas in Parco del Ticino, while the Sentiero features terraces, vineyards and chestnut woods in Taino.
Museum and Historic Sites in Cheglio
In three display cases, the Museo di Taino uses documents, photographs and tools to present former occupations such as carpenter, shoemaker, stonemason and tailor. For those interested in culture, the Museo di Taino focuses on specific occupations, documents, photographs and tools.
In Cheglio, the Oratorio di S. Giovanni Battista is a 17th-century chapel built according to the requirements established by S. Carlo Borromeo.
The oratory contains a large painting of the beheading of John the Baptist. In 1992, art critic Giovanni Testori attributed it to the painter G.B. Crespi (Il Cerano). Also in Cheglio, the Cappelletta dei Santi Cosma e Damiano was built in the 9th century; it preserves remnants of frescoes from the Syrian school.
The circular route Anello Sesto Calende – Taino – Lisanza – Sesto Calende passes a former ammunition depot. Its explosion killed 35 workers, predominantly women, in the 1930s.
Other Places
Other places: Bassano, Tronzano Lago Maggiore, Casorate Sempione, Fagnano Olona, Colmegna, Ranco, Casale Litta, Bodio Lomnago
To the broader travel overview: Varese.
