Prato Sesia is a small town in the province of Novara, situated on the River Sesia.

There are many different places of historical and cultural interest spread across the town’s territory; of particular importance are the tower and the ruins of the castle, as well as many characteristic churches.

On the summit of the hill of Sopramonte, the ancient heart of Prato Sesia, stand the ruins of the medieval castle which Bartolomeo Torniello had built in the 14th century. Of the ancient castle, it is still possible to see some sections of the defensive walls, constructed of large pebbles, the brick doorway and the ancient watch-tower, dating back to the 11th-12th centuries. The massive tower, no longer open to the public today because it is not safe, dominates the town, so much so that it has become Prato Sesia’s symbol.

Worth a visit is the ancient church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, located amongst the ruins of the castle:  it contains a fresco dating from the second half of the 15th century depicting St Sebastian and the Holy Bishop, perhaps St Gaudentius, work of  the artist Johannes de Campo.