In November of 2004 we visited Montorfano, a village near Lake Mergozzo, just north of Lago Maggiore.
It’s famous for the Romanesque church of St. John the Baptist, built in the 11th or 12th century (photos below).
above: This, I suppose, is the “orphaned mount” from which the town gets its name.
^ next to the church, ruins of much earlier buildings, dating from the 5th or 6th and 9th centuries.
![an ancient waterway, used in transporting granite from a local quarry](https://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/montstream.jpg)
an ancient waterway, used in transporting granite from a local quarry.
^ a house in the village with a Peace flag
![old stone road](https://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/montroad.jpg)
old stone road
![steps up to the restaurant where we ate lunch. These steps were originally build to get granite down from the quarry](https://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/montsteps.jpg)
steps up to the restaurant where we ate lunch. These steps were originally build to get granite down from the quarry
same path, on the way back down