Muggiano, Gattico
Itineraries From the Park all around
Minitour Gattico (1/3) 
The territory of Gattico occupies a hill range at the back of the Park whose extension has included many municiplalities and smaller communities over the centuries (Caronno, Mada, Borgo Agnello, Maggiate, Muggiano, St. Igino, and so on).
Here roman and mediaeval artifacts were often found.
Starting from the 11th century the Counts Da Castello from Gattico endowed the place with a castle and large parish church (St. Martin). In about 1410 Facino Cane destroyed the Castle and defeated the Counts of Gattico, whose feud was later passed on to Visconti's family in 1413 and Borromeo's in 1447.
Muggiano is a century-old estate with a large farm belonging to Marquesses Leonardi, heirs to the Counts of Gattico. Both the 15th - 16th century mansion and the church of the Madonna of the Snow (early 18th century) are remarkable. Inside is a beautiful painted stucco dated 1743.
Small artifacts in Ronco del Muggiano are related to the Bronze Age ones found in the Park. Ceramic shreds, iron fillings, roman stones and brickwork from the field facing Muggiano bear witness to the presence of farms in the 1st - 3rd century AD.
In the same field was found a tombstone, erected by Domitia Aucta's six children to honour their mother, Lucius Domitius' liberta. Evidently, this liberta's family used to till Domitius's lands.
The name Mizzano, later Muggiano, might originate from "fundus domitianus".
Slightly downhill the ruins of St. Mary of Muggiano (10th century, with parts of an early 15th century fresco dedicated to the Virgin) stand beside a 1,000 years-old road that connected Mercurago to Gattico throught the Park, passing in front of Domitia Aucta burial place.
Info
Other informations about itineraries From the Park all around are available on this web site, and nearby the described monument, in English.
Information provided by GASMA (Arona's Archeological, Historical, Mineralogical Group)
For guided tours please contact Associazione ProntoGuide
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Last updated: July 29th 2004