Centre of the Longobard network and a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Near the town of Castelseprio, in a wooded area crossed by the River Olona, there are remains that bear witness to ancient Sibrium, which, since Roman times, had been a strategically important place thanks to its the peculiar geo-morphological conditions. Consequently, fortified settlements, military bulwarks and religious monuments were built there, which then underwent their greatest growth in the Longobard age, as emblems of a Langobardorum Imperium destined to last for more than 200 years, characterised by impressive architectural works. In this territory, which is crossed by the River Olona, and by the Sempione Road, interesting archaeological sites can still be seen, including small churches and charming monasteries with elegant paintings, such as Castiglione Olona, Torba, Cairate, Arsago Seprio and the military camp of Castelseprio, which has significant examples of military architecture and the renowned Church of St. Maria Foris Portas, which stands outside the walls, in the area occupied by the early medieval village, on whose walls there is still one of the highest pictorial texts of the whole Early Middle Ages. Also the history of Tradate is linked to that of the countryside around Seprio. The former was established when the latter had declined. The itinerary allows investigation of the religious artefacts until the recent industrial past of the town, now converted into cultural spaces. The route ends by taking us back in time, to Cairate, a town of ancient origin, dating back to the 3rd century B.C., which has at its centre the mysterious monastery of Santa Maria Assunta, which was founded in 737, and which has undergone full architectural and functional restoration.

UNESCO World Heritage
In June 2011, the military camp in Castelseprio, together with the Church of Santa Maria Foris Portas and the Monastery of Torba, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage lists, as a part of the serial site "The Longobards in Italy. The places of power (568-774 A.D.)", which includes the most important Longobard monuments still standing in Italy.

Santa Maria Foris Portas T he Church of Santa Maria Foris Portas ("Foris Portas", outside the walls of the military camp) is a jewel of Longobard-Byzantine art. The building, which is now deconsecrated, contains what is perhaps the most ancient pictorial work in our province. In the apse, the unknown artist painted the stories of the Virgin Mary according to the Apocryphal Gospels.

The Motorcycle Museum, in Tradate In 1905, Corrado Frera had a factory built in Via Zara, for his newly established mechanical workshop, where he manufactured and assembled bicycles and motorcycles. Today, these buildings, which have been restructured and redeveloped by the local administration, are home to the museum and the new Public Library.