BORROMEAN ISLANDS
Boat trip to the Borromean islands
Do not miss the boat trip to the Borromean Islands.
Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola Pescatori are the three main islands of Lake Maggiore and will enchant you with their gardens and palaces. We always advise our guests to stop for lunch at Isola Pescatori and taste the excellent perch, a typical dish of the lake.
Isola Bella welcomes tourists with the garden and its attractions. In the "Parterre delle azalee", originally called the "Giardino di San Rocco", white and fuchsia azaleas bloom every April and May. To the north of the terrace there is a mosaic-decorated aviary.
Moving further south, two octagonal towers rise, the Torre della Noria and the Torre dei Venti. Inside there are the bookshop and the cafeteria. The two towers surround the Garden of Love, a splendid terrace from which the lake view unfolds.
In the heart of the garden stands the Teatro Massimo, built at the request of the Borromeo family. A building full of details and allegories, including the unicorn, the heraldic symbol of the family. The terrace on the top allows you to admire the garden and the lake.
The palace is accessed through the Atrium of Diana. Passing through the Gallery of Tapestries, you can observe a series of rooms: the Music Room, the New Hall and the Throne Room. The latter is flanked by the Sala della Regina or delle Due Alcove. The Berthier Gallery, in the center of the Palace, preserves over 130 paintings, mainly in the Baroque style. A further surprise consists of the six caves, commissioned by Vitaliano VI Borromeo, whose decorations recall the seabed.
Isola Madre is just as interesting. The largest of the three islands (eight hectares), it is distinguished by a unique and varied natural landscape, which ranges from European species to exotic ones.
The Scala dei Glicini flowers in the months of April and May, painting the path. Camellias, on the other hand, bloom in March and April; there are about 150 species, flanked by ferns. The island offers a lush landscape all year round.
The building was first the residence of the Borromeo family, then a hotel. It was opened to the public in the 20th century. Le Sale del Teatro delle Marionette contains stagings, scripts, and more. The wings and backdrops were painted by the set designer Alessandro Sanquirico, known for his work at La Scala in Milan. You can also visit the luminous Venetian Lounge.
Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola Pescatori are the three main islands of Lake Maggiore and will enchant you with their gardens and palaces. We always advise our guests to stop for lunch at Isola Pescatori and taste the excellent perch, a typical dish of the lake.
Isola Bella welcomes tourists with the garden and its attractions. In the "Parterre delle azalee", originally called the "Giardino di San Rocco", white and fuchsia azaleas bloom every April and May. To the north of the terrace there is a mosaic-decorated aviary.
Moving further south, two octagonal towers rise, the Torre della Noria and the Torre dei Venti. Inside there are the bookshop and the cafeteria. The two towers surround the Garden of Love, a splendid terrace from which the lake view unfolds.
In the heart of the garden stands the Teatro Massimo, built at the request of the Borromeo family. A building full of details and allegories, including the unicorn, the heraldic symbol of the family. The terrace on the top allows you to admire the garden and the lake.
The palace is accessed through the Atrium of Diana. Passing through the Gallery of Tapestries, you can observe a series of rooms: the Music Room, the New Hall and the Throne Room. The latter is flanked by the Sala della Regina or delle Due Alcove. The Berthier Gallery, in the center of the Palace, preserves over 130 paintings, mainly in the Baroque style. A further surprise consists of the six caves, commissioned by Vitaliano VI Borromeo, whose decorations recall the seabed.
Isola Madre is just as interesting. The largest of the three islands (eight hectares), it is distinguished by a unique and varied natural landscape, which ranges from European species to exotic ones.
The Scala dei Glicini flowers in the months of April and May, painting the path. Camellias, on the other hand, bloom in March and April; there are about 150 species, flanked by ferns. The island offers a lush landscape all year round.
The building was first the residence of the Borromeo family, then a hotel. It was opened to the public in the 20th century. Le Sale del Teatro delle Marionette contains stagings, scripts, and more. The wings and backdrops were painted by the set designer Alessandro Sanquirico, known for his work at La Scala in Milan. You can also visit the luminous Venetian Lounge.