The walls embracing the ancient village, capital of the Ossola.
The town of Domodossola was once protected by a pentagonal wall with watchtowers, in which six gates with portcullises and drawbridges opened. The enclosure was also protected externally by a moat without water.
Some sections of the walls remain today, particularly along Via Canuto, Via Monte Grappa and Via Facchinetti, equipped with guard walkways and shelters with embrasures, crowned by Guelph battlements. The remains of a corner tower in Via Canuto and the turret in Via Monte Grappa are also preserved. The latter has recently undergone restoration work with the creation of an amphitheatre all around it, used for cultural meetings and performances.
Other sections of walls and towers are incorporated into more recent constructions.
The building of the city walls was undertaken around 1303 by the Bishops of Novara, as a defence of the village against the constant invasions from the Valais. The walls were periodically renovated over the centuries also due to the damage suffered by the Bogna floods. Archaeological excavations have documented the maintenance of their defensive function at least until the 16th century.
It was not until the Napoleonic era, with the construction of the Simplon carriage road inaugurated in 1805, that most of the walls and gates were dismantled to allow the passage of carriages.
Credits © Susy Mezzanotte
