AIReworked with AI
What changed. Warm morning light (the shore faces east) and a clear sky in place of the original grey sky. Buildings, shores, boats, trees and framing are those of the original; small distant details are rendered by the model and should not be read as a record.
Source photo: Pella (NO) 6.JPG · Torsade de Pointes
Licence: CC0 · Nano Banana 2 (Higgsfield) · 6/10/2026
77 min · 88 km · from Piazza del Duomo, by car
Pella
West shore · Pella, Ronco and the cliff-top villages: the shore that looks at Orta
In one sentence
Pella is the west-shore village that looks at Orta and the island across the water: 876 residents, 24 m above the lake, 77 min from Milan, a boat to Orta from March to October.
Data sheet
By car, without traffic
| From | Drive time | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| Milan | 77 min | 88 |
| Malpensa | 57 min | 48 |
| Linate | 86 min | 93 |
| Novara | 53 min | 49 |
| Turin | 1 h 39 min | 128 |
| Lugano | 85 min | 96 |
| Zurich | 3 h 54 min | 300 |
| Basel | 4 h 27 min | 357 |
| Bern | 4 h 21 min | 323 |
| Geneva | 3 h 57 min | 305 |
| Munich | 6 h 08 min | 511 |
OSRM on OpenStreetMap data, without traffic, measured on 6 October 2026. Arrival at the centre of the place.
elevation
314 m24 m above the lake · from 284 m to 431 m around the point
Copernicus DEM (GLO-90) for the point; Terrain Tiles for the surroundings (400 m radius). Ground elevation, not buildings.
Sun on 21 December
6 h 44 min of direct sun, from 08:25 to 15:08 (out of 8 h 29 min of theoretical daylight)
Our own calculation on the terrain (Terrain Tiles): only the mountains count, not buildings or trees.
Train, boat, schools
- Nearest station
- Pettenasco · 2.7 km
- Nearest pier
- Pella · 0.3 km
- State schools in the municipality
- scuola primaria
- residents
- 876 · ISTAT 1/1/2025
as the crow flies
Landslides and floods (municipality)
- of residents in high or very high landslide hazard areas
- 8.6%
- of residents in medium flood hazard areas
- 5.5%
ISPRA IdroGEO, percentages for the whole municipality (2021 census population), not for the point.
Distances
Pella and its neighbours
| Places | Drive time | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| Ronco | 5 min | 3.0 |
| San Maurizio d'Opaglio | 6 min | 3.7 |
| Madonna del Sasso | 11 min | 6.6 |
| Nonio | 13 min | 10.1 |
| Gozzano | 13 min | 9.1 |
| Bolzano Novarese | 13 min | 10.5 |
| Vacciago | 16 min | 12.8 |
| Legro | 17 min | 15.0 |
| Ameno | 18 min | 13.7 |
| Orta San Giulio | 19 min | 15.5 |
| Pettenasco | 19 min | 17.0 |
| Miasino | 19 min | 15.0 |
| Omegna | 20 min | 15.7 |
| Armeno | 22 min | 18.8 |
| Quarna Sopra | 29 min | 21.1 |
OSRM without traffic, measured on 6 October 2026. On the lake the road goes round the water: from one shore to the other the car takes longer than the boat.
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How life is
Living in Pella
Facing Orta, from the other shore
Pella lies on the western shore, opposite the village of Orta and the island of San Giulio. Its centre is at 314 m, 24 m above the lake and about 210 m from the shore. The municipality has 876 residents (ISTAT, 1 January 2025; 2026 estimate: 874) and also includes Ronco, on the shore further north, and the hamlet of Alzo, where the primary school is.
The shore faces east: morning sun, a view of Orta, and a winter sunset that comes early behind the ridge. The "Rialaccio" bathing point, assigned to the municipality, was rated "good" in the 2024 season (EEA data).
The sun comes early and leaves early
On 21 December our calculation gives Pella 6 h 44 min of direct sun, from 8:25 am to 3:08 pm: the sun arrives 45 minutes earlier than on Piazza Motta and leaves 40 minutes earlier. On 21 June it is 13 h 42 min. The calculation considers terrain only, not buildings or trees.
According to ISPRA, 8.6% of residents live in areas of high or very high landslide hazard (3.1% of the area) and 5.5% in areas of medium flood hazard, mostly along the shore.
Services: few in the village
The municipality's only state school is the primary school in Alzo; nursery and secondary schools are in neighbouring municipalities, for example San Maurizio d'Opaglio (6 min). For healthcare, the nearest level-I emergency department for the province of Novara is in Borgomanero; Omegna has a first-aid point, not an emergency department.
There is no railway on the west shore. The nearest stations are Pettenasco and Orta-Miasino, about 3 km as the crow flies but on the other shore: by car Orta is 19 min away.
What you buy and at what price
According to OMI (2nd half of 2025), on the lakefront, zone B2, standard homes are valued at €1,350–1,950/m² and villas at €1,550–2,200/m². In the old core (B1) standard homes are at €1,200–1,750/m², in the residential outskirts (D1) at €1,150–1,700/m². Ronco has its own zone (E1), with standard homes at €1,350–2,000/m². Against the 2nd half of 2024, lakefront standard homes rose by 4.8% at the midpoint.
These are valuations, not sale prices: ranges estimated by the Revenue Agency by zone and type, on gross floor area and normal condition. Pella's lakefront is valued about a third lower than Orta's, opposite.
Getting there
By car, without traffic: 77 min (88 km) from Milan's Duomo, 57 min (48 km) from Malpensa T1, 85 min from Lugano. The road is the west-shore provincial road; from Pella to Gozzano takes 13 min.
The boat landing is 300 m away. From 4 to 31 October 2026 the Orta–Island–Pella–San Filiberto–Lagna loop leaves every 35–45 minutes; the first run from Pella is at 9:45 am. Scheduled service runs from March to October; from November to February none is listed.
By car, without traffic · OSRM on OpenStreetMap data, measured on 6 October 2026.
Quotations
What the quotations say in Pella
| OMI zone | Type | €/m² | Rent €/m² per month | Change on 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1 · vecchio nucleo Centrale | Abitazioni civili | 1,200–1,750 | 3.8–5.3 | +5.4% |
| Ville e Villini | 1,300–1,850 | 3.9–5.4 | +3.3% | |
| B2 · lungolago Centrale | Abitazioni civili | 1,350–1,950 | 4.5–6.1 | +4.8% |
| Ville e Villini | 1,550–2,200 | 5.5–7.4 | +2.7% | |
| D1 · periferica residenziale Periferica | Abitazioni civili | 1,150–1,700 | 3.8–5.2 | +5.6% |
| Abitazioni di tipo economico | 700–1,050 | 2.6–3.6 | 0.0% | |
| Ville e Villini | 1,300–1,950 | 4.1–5.4 | +3.2% | |
| E1 · suburbana turistica - localita ronco Suburbana | Abitazioni civili | 1,350–2,000 | 4.4–6.4 | +4.7% |
Italian Revenue Agency, OMI, 2nd half of 2025, normal condition; change on the 2nd half of 2024. These are estimated ranges per zone, not individual sale prices.
Honestly
Does Pella suit you?
It suits you if
- You want to look at Orta and the island rather than live inside them.
- You like morning sun: on 21 December it arrives at 8:25 am.
- You want the shore at lower values than Orta: €1,350–1,950/m² on the lakefront.
Look elsewhere if
- You need a train: there is none on the west shore, and Orta is 19 min by car.
- You want winter afternoon sun: it leaves at 3:08 pm.
- You need secondary schools and shops in the village: they are in nearby municipalities.
Questions
The questions we are asked
How much does a house cost in Pella?
On the lakefront OMI values standard homes at €1,350–1,950/m² and villas at €1,550–2,200/m² (2nd half of 2025). In the residential outskirts standard homes are at €1,150–1,700/m². These are estimated valuations, not signed prices.
Can I take a boat from Pella to Orta?
Yes, from March to October. In October 2026 the loop calling at Pella, the island and Orta leaves every 35–45 minutes, with the first run from Pella at 9:45 am. From November to February no scheduled service is listed: by car Orta is 19 min away.
Is there a railway station near Pella?
Not on the west shore. The nearest are Pettenasco and Orta-Miasino, on the other shore, on the Novara–Domodossola line. For Milan you change at Novara.
How much winter sun does Pella get?
On 21 December, 6 h 44 min of direct sun, from 8:25 am to 3:08 pm, according to our terrain calculation. That is almost as much as Orta, but shifted towards the morning. Buildings and trees are not considered.
Can I buy here through OrtaVillas?
Yes: TriesteVillas srl is a registered agency and can act as broker on the lake. Today, however, the lake's Private Collection has 0 homes, and this page is not a listing. Sign up to be notified, or write to richieste@triestevillas.com or call +39 347 8628738.
Private Collection · Lago d'Orta
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Sources
- ISTAT – Popolazione residente al 1° gennaio 2025 (POSAS) · read on 2026-10-06
- Agenzia delle Entrate – OMI, quotazioni 2° semestre 2025 e 2° semestre 2024, Pella · read on 2026-10-06
- OSRM su dati © OpenStreetMap contributors – tempi in auto senza traffico · read on 2026-10-06
- ISPRA IdroGEO – indicatori di pericolosità, comune di Pella · read on 2026-10-06
- MIM – Anagrafe scuole statali a.s. 2026/27 · read on 2026-10-06
- Sole al 21 dicembre, marzo e giugno: calcolo OrtaVillas su AWS Terrain Tiles (EU-DEM/SRTM) · read on 2026-10-06
- Quota: Copernicus DEM GLO-90 via Open-Meteo Elevation API · read on 2026-10-06
- Wikipedia (it) – Pella (Italia) · read on 2026-10-06
- Navigazione Lago d'Orta – Orario invernale 2026 · read on 2026-10-06
- EEA – Qualità delle acque di balneazione, stagione 2024 · read on 2026-10-06
- ASL VCO – Punto di Primo Intervento di Omegna · read on 2026-10-06
- ASL NO – Borgomanero, Ospedale SS. Trinità, DEA di I livello (BUR Piemonte 1/4/2026) · read on 2026-10-06