Novara (Piedmont)

Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin and from Genoa to Switzerland. Novara's sights can be divided into two groupings. The city's most important sights lie within its historic centre, the area once enclosed by the city walls. However, several important sights also lie outside the line of the former city walls. The most imposing monument in the city is the Basilica of San Gaudenzio, with a cupola 121 metres (397 ft) high, designed by Alessandro Antonelli and constructed in 1888. The bell tower is also of particular interest; it was designed by Benedetto Alfieri, uncle of the more famous Vittorio Alfieri.