The lakefront piazza is the social centre of Orta — a long, cobbled rectangle open to the water on one side, lined with pastel-painted palazzi, restaurants, and cafes on the other three. The Palazzotto della Comunità , a small frescoed sixteenth-century town hall raised on stone columns, stands in the middle and has been the symbol of the town since 1582.
The ferries to Isola San Giulio leave from the steps on the water side. In the afternoon the piazza is busy with day-trippers; in the evening, once they have left, it empties out and is reclaimed by guests staying overnight. A drink at one of the cafe terraces as the light goes down on the island is one of the small set pieces of the Italian lakes.