Novara

Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It had 104,000 residents in 2019, and is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin.

Understand
Novara is not a city of particular attraction to tourists, nor can it be defined as a "city of art", nevertheless it preserves interesting artistic and architectural treasures such as the bold dome of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio, the symbol of the city, and the early Christian baptistery. Its duomo is one of the oldest religious buildings in Piedmont.

By plane
Milan Malpensa International Airport is about 35 km away.

By train
Novara is about 40 minutes by train from Milan central station.

The city is served by three railway stations:


 * Vignale FS, a small station operated by the Ferrovie dello Stato (regional trains)
 * Novara FS, the principal station of the Ferrovie dello Stato, Italy's national railway (regional, national and international trains).
 * Novara Nord, the station operated by the LeNord railway in via Leonardo da Vinci. It serves regional and high-speed trains.

By car
Novara is linked to Turin and Milan by the A4 motorway (via the junctions Novara Ovest and Novara Est). The A26 motorway crosses most of Novara province, but there is not a junction that links it directly with Novara. To reach Novara from the A26, one must exit at Vercelli Est, but one can also reach Novara by way of the A4, which crosses the A26 at a junction. Novara is served by a system of dual-carriageway bypasses.

The S11 trunk road from Milan and Magenta passes through Novara on its way to Vercelli and Turin. Trunk roads to the north and south also link Novara to the motorway network.

By bus

 * Troiolo Bus, +39 0964 381325.

Get around
The historic centre of the city has an almost pentagonal shape and is mostly surrounded by "bastions", tree-lined avenues that have taken the place of the ancient walls that surrounded the city.

The two main arteries are Corso Cavour-Corso Mazzini, with a north-south direction, and Corso Italia-Corso Cavallotti, with an east-west direction, corresponding to the route of the ancient Roman Cardo and Decumano.


 * SUN provides local bus service, €1.90-2.50 per trip (July 2021).


 * There is a driving ban for all petrol (gasoline) vehicles that do not meet at least the Euro 2 standard and for Diesel vehicles below the Euro 3 standard. The ban applies from Monday to Friday from 08:30-12:30 and 14:30-18:30. Motorists can leave their car in one of the free interchange parking lots located on the outskirts of the city and continue by public transport.

By taxi

 * Radio Taxi Novara Cooperative, +39 0321 691999.
 * Novara city taxi, +39 0321 611755.

See

 * The old urban core makes up the Historic Centre. Novara once had an encircling wall, which was demolished to permit urban development. Of the old wall there remains only the Barriera Albertina, a complex of two neo-classical buildings that constituted the gate of entry to the city, the required passageway for those who traveled from Turin to Milan. After their removal, the walls were replaced by the present-day baluardi, the broad, tree-lined boulevards that surround the Historic Centre.

Festivals

 * Patronal feast of San Gaudenzio: January 22 modification
 * Historical re-enactment of the Battle of Bicocca: March 23