Parco Naturale dei Lagoni di Mercurago

The Lagoni di Mercurago Nature Park preserves a landscape of ponds, peat bogs, woodland and pasture in Arona's hinterland. Prehistoric remains give this wetland environment an archaeological significance extending far beyond Lake Maggiore.

Why it matters

The park brings natural and cultural heritage together. Its prehistoric pile-dwelling site belongs to the UNESCO serial property of prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps. Finds associated with the Golasecca culture and Roman period also document the long human history of the area.

What to notice

The Lagone is the park's principal wetland feature, surrounded by a varied landscape of open ground and woodland. Meadows and pastures associated with racehorse breeding show that this is also a worked rural territory. The archaeological importance lies in the remains and objects preserved by the site, rather than in standing prehistoric houses.

Context and history

Established in 1980, the park covers about 473 hectares across Arona, Comignago, Dormelletto and Oleggio Castello. Its conservation role includes both the surviving wetlands and the archaeological record. The combination of water, pasture and settlement traces makes it a distinctive inland counterpart to the lakeshore.