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Arona's answer to the giants of the ancient world stands above Lake Maggiore: a monumental figure of Saint Charles Borromeo, clad in copper and rising to about 35 metres including its pedestal. The hollow copper shell and interior stairway are part of the statue's unusual construction.
Why it matters
Erected in Arona after the canonization of San Carlo Borromeo, the archbishop of Milan who was born at the town's Rocca in 1538, the colossus is an important example of early-modern monumental sculpture. Its overall height of about 35 metres includes a granite pedestal beneath the metal figure. Its association with the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan connects the monument with the institution that preserves Borromeo's library. For Lake Maggiore, the Sancarlone is the signature monument: visible from the water, unmistakable from the shore.
What to notice
The hollow statue combines a structural core with copper cladding and an internal stairway. Openings at the eyes, nostrils and ears, and windows at shoulder level, reveal the sculpture from within. Its terrace overlooks Lake Maggiore and the Rocca di Angera. The surrounding park and nearby Church of San Carlo form part of the sacred hill.
Context and history
San Carlo Borromeo died in Milan in 1584, and his canonization set in motion monuments across his home territory. Arona, his birthplace on the lake's western shore, received the greatest of them: a colossal figure conceived on a scale worthy of the cardinal's European reputation. Built after the canonization, the statue rose on the hillside above the town beside a church dedicated to him, and its height — about 35 metres including the pedestal — made it a striking feature of the lakeside landscape. The Borromeo story extends beyond the statue: Carlo was born at the Rocca, baptized at the Collegiata di Santa Maria Nascente and celebrated his final Mass at the Chiesa dei Santi Martiri. The monument is managed by the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, which also preserves the saint's library.