Arona Castle was home to Carlo Borromeo, the saint who was born here in 1538. Records show that by the age of 22 he had become a Cardinal and by the age of 26 he was enthroned as Archbishop of Milan, though it is thought that a lot to do with his advancement was due to his uncle Pope Pius IV. Frederico Borromeo, himself Archbishop of Milan in 1679, dedicated a statue of San Carlo Borromeo which stands just a short distance away from Arona.
