VARESE  , a

town of Lombardy, Italy, in the province of Como, 18 m. by rail W. of that town, and 37 M . N.W. of Milan, 1253 ft. above sea-level . Pop . (1901) 7692 (town); 17,666 (commune) . It is a well-to-do place, beautifully situated near the Lake of Varese, and for this reason a favourite summer and autumn resort of the Milanese, who have numerous country houses in the vicinity . Among them the Villa Litta and the Villa Ponte may be specially mentioned . The principal church is that of S . Victor (rebuilt 158o-1615 and 1795), to which is attached an ancient baptistery (dating from the 9th century but rebuilt in the 13th) . The fine campanile of the church is 246 ft. high . There is an archaeological museum with pre-historic antiquities from the lake-dwellings on an island in the Lake of Varese . To the N.W . (a journey of 21 hours) is the pilgrimage church of the Madonna del Monte (2885 ft.), approached by a path which passes fourteen chapels adorned with 17th-century frescoes and groups in stucco illustrating the mysteries of the rosary .

Varese is the seat of active

silk-spinning, tanning, paper-making and the manufacture of organs and vehicles . Excellent wine is made . Varese is a .function for Porto Ceresio and Laveno .