The castle, or Rocca, is an ancient Roman fortification located in a panoramic
position on a spur of calcareous rock overlooking Lake Maggiore. It has
been a stronghold for the control of traffic and navigation across the lake.
In the Middle Ages it became property of the Visconti and then of the Borromeo
family in 1449.
The Rocca today is a complex and spectacular building with a central court-yard and a square main tower. A nice view across the lake, the opposite Arona, the pre-Alps and the Alps can be enjoyed from the top of the tower.
Used for many years more as a manor-house than as a castle, in the Rocca there
are many frescoed rooms such as the "Sala di Giustizia" (Justice Room)
that presents a cycle of frescoes datable to 1300 or late 1200, that celebrates
the victory of Ottone Visconti over Napo della Torre in 1277.
Since 1988 the Rocca Borromeo has been home to the "Museo della Bambola" (Dolls' Museum), 12 rooms covering two centuries of dolls history.