Borromean Islands, Italy

Borromean Islands,

colours on the water

It had been the favourite holiday destination for the noble Lombard families since the 18th century among which the Borromeo family, the prestigious family with Florentine origins as well as the Visconti family. Lake Maggiore is among the most appreciated Italian lakes, it has become an attraction for the Italian and the foreign artists too. It borders on Piedmont, Lombardy and Switzerland, it’s surrounded and protected by the cold Northern wind and by the hills and the mountains. The Borromean Islands are

the heart of this lake, it’s a little heaven of art and nature that was deeply loved by Ernest Hemingway and by the English Royal Family and it is the destination of big tourists waves from Central Europe nowadays. The monumental Isola Bella overlooked by the grand Borromean Palace and its amazing gardens is sided by the Isola Madre which features a botanic garden full of rare species of plants and by the Isola dei Pescatori and the islet of San Giovanni, set by Pallanza and the rock of Marghera.

Exotic elegance

You can almost touch it from Stresa. It was once an area of fishermen then it was completely changed by Carlo III Borromeo in 1630 and it has then become an amazing jewel in the next forty years. Isola Bella is the perfect match of the tiny village, the gardens and the Baroque palace that features its Northern area. It’s a piece of land in the heart of lake Maggiore which is featured by narrow streets, staircases, porches, tiny shops and the stalls overlooking the lake that are

surrounded by the restaurants’ smells. The Borromen Palace overlooks the island, it’s a treasure chest of the Baroque art that features beautiful marble rooms that are embellished with precious plasters, decorations, tapestries, crystal chandeliers, paintings and precious furniture. Obelisks, bushes, banisters and statues feature the ten terraces that make the Italian garden which is covered in exotic plants and thousands of flowers for an explosion of colours and scents.

The Hotel Belvedere is set in the heart of Lake Maggiore in the lovely scenery of Isola dei Pescatori (The fishermen’s island). It’s a piece of heaven in this tiny village laid on the water where after the colourful bright days the night comes when the coming and going of ferries stop and everything is magically silent. The Hotel Belvedere is a beautiful place, you can enjoy one of its 19 rooms furnished

in a style that matches the traditions to the contemporary trends. Among the different comforts provided by the hotel you can choose the rooms overlooking the narrow streets of the historical centre or the ones overlooking the lake to sip your relaxing moments. The hotel has been owned by the Alberti family for five generations and the real treat is the Suite Executive designed by the archi-

tect Mauro Bissantini from Verbania where your stay will become a fulfilled dream. It is furnished in a modern style and soft colours, it’s elegant and stylish and it gives its guests an amazing view on the mountains, on the characteristic roofs and on the lake, you’ll be overwhelmed by the emotions. A lot of comfort and beauty in a place where the dinner can also be served in the master bedroom on the wonderful terrace overlooking the lake. The junior suite is a good alternative too for the families or for the guests who need a wider space then there is the romantic double room with a little terrace, there is also the Deluxe room overlooking the lake or the internal narrow streets and the standard rooms furnished in the typical traditional style.

The hotel Belvedere is magic, comfort and relax and the very good quality of its cuisine is not to be outdone as well. The fish dishes are the main ones, they are all made according to the traditional recipes that combine the tastes from the lake with the tastes from the surrounding valleys. A stay at the Hotel Belvedere is with no doubt an unforgettable experience since in this area of lake Maggiore surrounded by the magic scenery of the Fishermen’s island you can just feel your dreams and the poetry that is all around.

Baroque glows

The Borromean Palace on the Bella combines the elegance and the harmony, it’s featured by big rooms and beautiful furniture. The gallery of tapestries deserves to be seen, there are precious Flemish tapestries, the Music room where some precious instruments are exhibits, the Medals Room where ten wooden gold medals represent the main events in the life of San Carlo Borromeo and the Throne room which is a tiny museum of the Baroque from Lombardy. An helicoidal staircase reaches the caves that are six rooms with decorations that remind the seabed, this is a very cool

room where guests could relax and it’s all covered in black and white stones. The Italian Garden frames the wonderful Baroque palace, it is displayed on ten terraces and it’s 37 metres high. It’s spread with flowers and rare exotic plants and in the middle of the park there is the Teatro Massimo where the statue of the wild ox stands out. It was the family sign of Borromeo, both sides are decorated with the statues of the nature and of the art and they are surrounded by the obelisks, niches, fountains and meadows where the white peacocks exhibit their beauty.

Narrow streets and boats

It’s handful of minutes by ferry from Isola Bella the picturesque village of fishermen. During the short trip that connects the two islands you pass by the islet of Malghera which is featured by a tiny beach where the gulls find their quiet shelter far from the noise of ferries. The island of Fishermen is also called Superiore, it’s entirely occupied by the village surrounded by water where the boats and the ferried stop thus offering poetic and inspiring sceneries. It has been inhabited by the fishermen for

many centuries, it is a network of narrow streets full of tiny shops and restaurants that spread the smell of the fried fish and give beautiful water views. The church of San Vittore’s clock- tower overlooks the inhabited centre, it features an apsis that dates back to the 11th century and it keeps precious paintings dating back to the 17th century as well as the wooden statues of the fishermen’s patron saints Andrea and Pietro and a fresco dating back to the16th century that portrays Sant’Agata.