The last part of the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore goes from Belgirate to Castelletto Ticino, and possesses a variety of places of artistic and cultural interest.

The little Romanesque church of Santa Maria in Belgirate is a fine example. In a dominating position above the town, it dates from the 12th century. Massino Visconti boasts the sanctuary of San Salvatore, at the end of a 4 km-long scenic road on a hillside of birch and beech woods.

The lakeside road (State road 33) is lined with a succession of mansion houses set in luxuriant parkland. Examples are Villa Correnti, built towards the end of the 19th century by Cesare Correnti, a senator of what was then the Kingdom of Italy,  and the 19th century Villa Faraggiana in Meina, a Neoclassical building surrounded by extensive grounds.

Towards the end of the lake is Arona, the principal seat of the Borromeo family, which for centuries exerted a strong influence on the lake area. The giant statue of Cardinal San Carlo Borromeo, a Colossus 23.40 metres high, stands above the town. You can climb up inside to see a breathtaking view of the Lombard and Piedmontese shores of the lake through the apertures in the statue’s robes and through the Saint’s eyes.

The last town on the Piedmontese shore is Castelletto Ticino, where you can see the Torriani-Visconti Castle, a medieval fortress which belonged to the signoria of the Torriani and the Visconti families and which still has its massive square keep.