Only the north and east wings of the original square plan Visconti period castle have survived. To the right of the façade, a massive tower with an airy ogival window framed by terracotta rosettes and with a sill supported by small intersecting arches, has also survived. The rear façade of the castle features a large hanging fireplace, an external walkway and pointed arch windows. Gropello owes its supplementary name - Cairoli - since 1888 to the five patriotic sons of Carlo Cairoli, Benedetto, Enrico, Ernesto, Luigi and Giovanni who lived here with their mother Adelaide and played a front rank role in the Italian Risorgimento.

In the Middle Ages Dorno was an important fortified town. With the French conquest of the Duchy of Milan it was subjected to sacking and destruction. Today Dorno has a characteristic triangular piazza with nineteenth century porticoes and town houses and a parish church with a baptismal font supported by a Flavian era Roman column. The Bertagnina di Dorno Pumpkin Fair has been a yearly event here since 2004 and attracts thousands of gourmets and enthusiasts.

In 1481 the fourteenth century castle, previously owned by the Beccaria family, passed under the control of Ludovico il Moro who lived in it for long periods. The entrance to the building is a portal which was damaged in the Baroque era but the crossbow loops of the historic drawbridge camber are still visible. Today the Archaeological Museum is based here with more than 1200 exhibits from Lomellina's history from prehistory to the Celtic and Roman eras illustrated by a great many information panels.

In the Middle Ages Robbio was a Vercelli outpost in Pavia land on the Via Francigena. This Lomellina town's many Romanesque churches evoke its splendid past.

Frascarolo is located on the border with Piedmont in a historically strategic position. In the fourteenth century its Castello Visconteo, site of bloody territorial disputes, was built here. Later destroyed by mercenary captain Facino Cane whose objective was to conquer Visconti lands, it was rebuilt in the early sixteenth century by the Sforza family. In 1882, the Vochieri family commissioned architect Vandone to completely restore the building and give it the appearance of an elegant and sumptuous aristocratic manor house. The castle hosts the Museo del Contadino country life museum.

Situated midway (perhaps the origin of its name Mede) between the Sesia and Agogna rivers, sections of 14th-15th century Sangiuliani Castle's walls are still visible in the town centre together with an elegant loggia built at a later date and a battlemented tower. The Ugo Fantelli archaeology and naturalistic collection is kept at the castle as well as the Regina Cassolo Bracchi museum with its sketches, tempera paintings, collages and sculptures by this great Futurist sculptor.

The origins of the town are ancient and meld into Lombard history. Lombard tombs of four men who lived in the 7th century and were buried with their arms - a scramsax (a sort of long knife), swords, shields and spear were found in the village of Luzzano in 1961.    

Visitors are welcomed by the ancient tower and ruins of Castagnolo castle with its evocative legends and the beautiful Baroque church of San Carlo Borromeo.

This small town is made up of many villages scattered over the hills and its attractive streets flanked by vineyards make it one of the best places in the area to wander around in.

Back to the past across the architectural beauties and the alleys of the medieval village

Village of strategical importance since ancient times, here you can discover the great Romanesque Lombard architecture