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The Ancient Village of Carmine Superiore
Carmine Superiore is a very well preserved village that dates back to the Middle Ages. It can only be reached on foot from the hamlet of Carmine Inferiore located below it. It is built on a rocky spur that stretches out towards the lake, in a splendid panoramic position.
The village is set in a treasured environmental context, characterized by terraces built on dry-stone walls, which are visible at the outskirts of the inhabited centre. These terraces are the last evidence of the ancient vineyards that contested with the mainly chestnut-tree woods for the steep terrain.
The layout of the buildings is typical of the Medieval shelter and if one considers the location and the robustness of the dwellings it is easy to understand how it was an excellent defensive system.
The historian Aquilino Zammaretti believes that because of the nature of the stronghold and its closeness to the castles of the notorious Mazzarditi brothers (the castles of Cannero) this ancient village was an excellent place of refuge during the 16th century for the incursions and raids that the terrible brothers carried out against the villages of Upper Verbano; the stronghold was also a place of torture and imprisonment: in fact, the Mazzarditi were unfortunately known for their wicked hatred of the vanquished.
Town
Cannobio
Territory
Upper Lake Maggiore,
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