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You start your journey with a 1/2 hour drive to lake Orta. Orta is a picturesque and ancient village on the banks of a beautiful lake, rich in history and culture. On arrival you will be guided through its cobble-stoned alleyways past renaissance and baroque palaces, craft shops and cafes. Then you will take a boat to what the locals call the heart of the lake, the island of St. Giulio, considered to be an open air museum. Here you will visit the Basilica and then have a stroll along a unique circular path which is dotted with plaques engraved in four languages with thoughts and sayings about love and peace. You will then return to the mainland for your lunch stop in a restaurant with views overlooking this beautiful lake.	In the afternoon you will walk up to the Sanctuary or “Sacro Monte” where you have amazing views of the whole lake and its island. This Sanctuary is dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and is one of the most famous of its kind in Italy. You will visit some of its 20 chapels, famous for their frescoes and their 376 statues which depict his life. You then return to Biella.