Domodossola

Domodossola stands on the Toce plain where several Alpine valleys meet. Known as Oscella in Roman times, it was a centre of the Lepontii and a gateway to the routes north across the mountains. Its later name grew from Domus Oxile, associated with the collegiate church established in the eleventh century.

Raids from across the Alps and conflict between Guelphs and Ghibellines led the town to seek Milanese protection. In 1381 it swore allegiance to Gian Galeazzo Visconti and became part of the Milanese state. French, Spanish and Austrian rule followed during the Italian wars and their aftermath. After nearly two centuries of Spanish rule, Austria took the town in 1706. The Treaty of Worms in 1743 transferred Domodossola and the surrounding Ossola to the Kingdom of Sardinia.