Omegna, overlooking Lake Orta, is known as Italy’s capital of household goods: a title earned through decades of outstanding manufacturing industry.
Italy’s capital of household goods
In the 1960s, Omegna was the true capital of Italy’s home appliance and household goods industry. Brands that became famous all over the world, such as Alessi, Bialetti, Lagostina, Calderoni, Girmi, Irmel and Piazza, had their production facilities here, helping to make Italian design internationally renowned, from the Bialetti moka pot to Alessi’s iconic creations.
The Forum, the industry museum
Since 1998, the Forum in Omegna has housed a rich collection of household items produced by companies in the Cusio area, accompanied by information panels recounting the history of the sector from the 19th century to the present day, along with the evolution of advertising in the field of industrial design. Today, the museum is one of the key reference points for anyone wishing to understand the deep connection between this area and the history of Italian design.
Gianni Rodari, Omegna’s other soul
Omegna is also inextricably linked to Gianni Rodari, a pivotal figure in children’s literature, who was born and raised in the town. The Fantasy Park dedicated to him celebrates this connection, offering routes and activities designed for adults and children alike, inspired by the writer’s poetic and imaginative world.
Omegna on Lake Orta
Omegna is a short distance from Orta San Giulio, another gem of Lake Orta. To explore the town’s industrial history in greater depth, visit the Forum Omegna.
From Omegna, you can also reach the inland area of Val d’Ossola, with its vineyards: an opportunity for a tasting after a day spent among design and literature.
One lake, two souls
Omegna shares with the other towns on Lake Orta a more intimate atmosphere than nearby Lake Maggiore: the lake’s smaller size offers an almost intimate landscape, ideal for leisurely walks along the town’s lakeside promenade, between the ferry landing and the first shops in the historic centre, with views of the hills surrounding the basin on every side.
A park spread throughout the town
The Gianni Rodari Fantasy Park is not a fenced-off area, but a network of educational and recreational spaces woven into the town itself, overlooking the waters of Lake Orta. It includes forums, play centres, a child-friendly bookshop and natural terraces overlooking the lake, alongside green spaces designed to stimulate creativity. The new Rodari Museum offers numerous interactive stations for playing with the writer’s stories: nursery rhymes to listen to by telephone, video projections and mechanisms that visitors themselves are invited to activate, on a route that makes adults and children alike the protagonists.
A legacy that continues to inspire
The connection between Omegna and Gianni Rodari goes beyond a simple commemorative tribute: every year, the town organises events, workshops and programmes that keep the writer’s educational and literary legacy alive, involving schools and families from across the region in a cultural project that is constantly renewed, keeping Omegna at the centre of national attention when it comes to children’s literature.
The pairing of the design industry and children’s literature makes Omegna a truly rare case among Italy’s small towns, able to tell two stories of excellence that are completely different yet equally significant.
Two forms of excellence, one town to discover with curiosity.
Design and imagination, two legacies to be proud of.
Design and words, a pairing that continues to inspire.
One final note about Omegna: the town demonstrates how industry and culture can coexist and strengthen one another, rather than excluding each other as is often believed.
Thank you for joining us on this journey through design and imagination.
