Station Location
The territory of Dormelletto is based on three layers situated at growing altitudes. The lowest one, by the lake at about 200 meters / 650 feet u.s.l., is the most recently inhabited and it is the one where I live; the intermediate layer, at about 250 meters / 800 feet u.s.l., houses the community as it is today, which between the end of the 3 and the 1 century BC was preceded by a Gallic village; the highest one, at about 300 meters /1,000 feet u.s.l., in a beautiful regional natural park, witnessed the presence of a mid-Bronze Age necropolis and traces from Iron Age and Roman settlements.
In the central part of the town in the 80’, near the town school and the Town Hall, the village's necropolis was found in Via San Rocco, where again, years ago during the construction of the new school other tombs together with an important engraved stone and many tools of the daily life of these first inhabitants were found. The village name was Dormello, meaning hill (mello) at the door (duro) with reference to a suitable place for defense as the hill where the parochial church was built. At the top of this hill a castle stood in the Middle Age and the present church bell tower is what remains of the old castle settlement with modifications added to the top part of the original tower for the bell installation.
The present name Dormelletto is a diminutive from the original “Dormello”.
Dormelletto become famous worldwide in the 50’ thanks to the famous horse “Ribot” of the “Dormello-Olgiata” farm here located. Ribot won 16 international races at that time becoming a well-known racing horse worldwide. The horse farm activity is still well running today.
The town is now mainly a touristic place where you can find a lot of facilities for spending nice holidays in the area thanks to campings, hotels, water sports centers etc.
Webcam direction view on Meteo Dormelletto southern Lake Maggiore map area and related Digital Elevation Model.