Eight archaeological sites just a stone’s throw from home, and a documentary to discover them

There are well-known places, such as Sacro Monte, Lake Varese, Castelseprio and Torba. But there are also lesser-known ones, such as the Monastery of Cairate, the necropolis of Arsago Seprio and the area around Monsorino. These all have one thing in common: a long archaeological history. And they are the 8 sites in Varese Province that have been included in the project “Varese4U – Archeo”, that have been discussed in the last few months, in a multimedia project.

Varese4U-Archeo has journeyed through millions of years of history, exploring famous UNESCO properties and still unknown sites: from the most ancient fossils from Monte San Giorgio to monasteries, tombs and findings dating back to “just” a few centuries ago. The documentary you can see here is a synopsis of the reporting work carried out by Varese4U-Archeo, and it was shown to an audience of journalists from all over Italy, who had all gathered in Varese for the Glocal Festival.

The project arose 2016 after a call issued by Lombardy Region for ideas on how to make the most of the UNESCO heritage around Varese Province, and it subsequently evolved, focusing on the Province’s archaeological heritage. Every week, a different site was explored, with interviews with art historians, museum curators, archaeologists and people closely connected with the area in question. At the end of each stage, a final video was published, telling the story using images with a high visual impact, to help people discover the local beauty. These videos have been viewed a total of 10,000 times on YouTube, and can be watched by clicking on the links below.

– the UNESCO site of Monte San Giorgio

– the UNESCO site of Isolino Virginia

– the Archaeological Area of Angera

– the Area of Monsorino, with the Golasecca civilisation

– the UNESCO site of Castelseprio-Torba

– the Monastery of Cairate

– the Longobard necropolis in Arsago Seprio

– the UNESCO site of Sacro Monte in Varese, and Monte San Francesco