Hidden away in the middle of a secluded Lombardy forest, Torba has witnessed the history of Varese like few other places. You can step inside the Roman tower that warded off barbarian conquest before passing into the hands of the Goths, the Byzantines, and finally the Lombards.

As centuries passed, the tower changed into an oratory for the nuns that made the area their home, and stunning religious frescoes were added – the remnants of which can still be seen today.