SAN CARLONE’S COLOSSUS ARONA private tour: lake Maggiore seen by your eyes

The guided tour of the statue of San Carlo built in Arona, the birthplace of Borromeo on Lake Maggiore, will allow you a spectacular view of the large lake that rises between Piedmont and Lombardy and will lead you to discover all the details of the Colossus. After the canonization and in honor of the greatness of the Milanese archbishop, the San Carlone inaugurated in 1698 remained for over two centuries the largest statue in the world until the Statue of Liberty in New York was built, designed by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, who stayed in the city of Arona to study the structure of the colossus.

The guided tour will take you to the rear of the pedestal and climbing two iron spiral staircases you will reach the first panoramic point of the balcony. Lake Maggiore can be seen among the centuries-old trees surrounding the statue made up of copper plates hammered into the support structure and held together by means of nails and tie rods.

The tour continues through the folds of the Saint’s dress where a door opens through which the visitor can climb to the top; once you reach the top you can observe the surrounding landscape through the circular holes corresponding to the eyes, nostrils and ears of the Saint, or through the openings on the back. The tour ends with a visit to the Church of San Carlo, a few meters from the statue, built in 1614 and which houses some relics of the saint inside the chapel in two cabinets with carved wooden doors.

Included:

• Walking tour with licensed tour guide

Not included:

• Museum tickets
• Food and drinks
• Transfer service

What to bring:

• Comfortable shoes
• Water
• Sun hat on hot days

Meeting point:

• Piazzale San Carlo square