Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Italian: Provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola) is the northernmost province in the Italian region of Piedmont. It was created in 1996 through the fusion of three distinct regions which had previously been part of the Province of Novara. The area flanking the western shore of Verbano (or Lago Maggiore) forms the eastern part of the province; Cusio (or Lago d?Orta) and its environs form the southern part; while the north and east of the province consists of the Ossola, a region of Alpine mountains and valleys.

The province has a total population of some 160,000, distributed over an area of 2,255 km˛, with the biggest population centres being its capital Verbania on the shores of Lago Maggiore, Domodossola the main town of the Ossola, and Omegna at the northern end of Lago d?Orta.

Map of the province

Municipal subdivisions

There are 77 communes in the province (http://www.upinet.it/indicatore.asp?id_statistiche=6). Of the these the largest by population are:

Commune	Population
Verbania	30,836
Domodossola	18,362
Omegna	15,949
Gravellona Toce	7,595
Villadossola	6,915
Cannobio	5,113
Stresa	5,104

Culture

UNESCO Sacred Mountains

In 2003, the Sacred Mountain of Domodossola and the Sacred Mountain of Ghiffa were inserted by UNESCO in the World Heritage List.

<gallery> Image:Sacro Monte di Domodossola.JPG|Sacro Monte di Domodossola Image:Cap. 9, La terza caduta. Cap. 11, La crocefissione.JPG|Sacro Monte di Domodossola
View of the chapels IX and XI Image:Domodossola Sacro Monte Stazione IX.jpg|Sacro Monte di Domodossola
Chapel IX </gallery>

<gallery> Image:Sacro Monte di Ghiffa.JPG|Sacro Monte di Ghiffa
Crucifixion and Trinity, 16th century Image:Sacro Monte di Ghiffa. Fig.1.JPG|Sacro Monte di Ghiffa
Unknown artist of XVIII Century, Three Angels visiting Abraham Image:Sacro Monte Ghiffa Panorama Lago.JPG|Sacro Monte di Ghiffa
Landscape from the Sacro Monte </gallery>

External links

• Official website
• Portale del Lago Maggiore - a portal run by the local Trading Chamber
• Official web site for European Sacred Mountains

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