The village of Vignone lies in the hills behind Verbania, on the slopes of Monte Cimolo; the view of Lake Maggiore from the village is stunning.
The area is crisscrossed by a network of paths and mule tracks, making it excellent for pleasant walks, hikes and mountain bike excursions. There are also a number of history and culture trails for anyone interested in exploring ancient rock engravings. Three anthropomorphic engravings in particular are interesting, and are quite rare in this province; you can see them on a serizzo door lintel wedged into the outside wall of a private house in Via Reginetta Francioli.
The stone, here set into the wall upside down compared to its original position, has clear analogies with prehistoric engravings found throughout the Alps (especially in Val Camonica). From an analysis of their symbols, these engravings have been attributed to the Middle Bronze Age (1600-1250 BC) and are stylized praying figures, a primitive representation of the worship of a superior being.
You can continue along the history and culture trail of Vignone to see the large numbers of cup-marked boulders at Crana, Casa dei Muli and Belvedere di Bureglio, as well as the Celtic burial grounds at Bienna and finds from Roman times at Motto di Crana.
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