San Carlone statue reopens with guided tours, inspired Statue of Liberty

The 35-meter-tall statue of San Carlo Borromeo in Arona, Italy, known as Sancarlone, reopens to the public on March 1, 2025, with guided tours. The monument, erected between 1624 and 1698, was commissioned by Federico Borromeo and designed by Giovan Battista Crespi (Il Cerano), with copper work by Siro Zanella and Bernardo Falconi. It was the world's tallest statue until 1886, when the Statue of Liberty (46 meters) surpassed it. Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi studied the Sancarlone structure before designing the New York statue. The statue is hollow, supported by stone, brick, and iron, with an outer layer of hammered copper plates. Visitors can climb a spiral staircase to a terrace at the saint's feet and a steep ladder to the head, where eye holes offer views. The site is managed by Archeologistics for the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana, owner since 1624. Tickets (€13) include access to the botanical garden with sculptures by Marco Mantovani. Special guided tours are available on March 1 at 10:00 and 14:30. The statue's blessing arm has a complex metal structure to withstand winds. San Carlo Borromeo was born in Arona in 1538 and canonized in 1610. The monument cost 1,200,000 Milanese lire and was restored in 1975. The index finger is 1.95 meters long, the hand 1.45 meters wide, and the breviary 4.20 meters high. Nearby, the Church of San Carlo, designed by Francesco Maria Richini and built from 1614, houses the saint's relics.