Maccagno Imperiale

For almost a thousand years the Giona torrent split Maccagno in two. The older half to the south, on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, was made an imperial fief by Otto I in 962 and governed itself until Napoleon; in the 17th century its counts even ran a mint, mostly turning out counterfeit coins. Today a contemporary art museum spans the mouth of the Giona.

Highlights

• Museo Parisi-Valle, a bridge-like building over the Giona designed by Maurizio Sacripanti
• Sanctuary of the Madonna della Punta, with views over the lake
• Il Cinzanino, a lakeside cliff equipped for rock climbing
• The pebbled Tronzano beach, popular with locals for swimming
• Footpaths from the village into the surrounding valleys

Summary based on Wikipedia and Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), written with AI assistance.