Isola Bella

Our afternoon visit was to Isola Bella, the largest and grandest of the Borromeo Islands. The Palazzo and its garden were completed in1680. Isola Bella translates as beautiful island and it seems to float above the blue waters of Lake Maggiore like a ship in full sail, as we could see on our approach in the launch. It simply towered above us. Originally, the island was named Isola Isabella, in honour of the wife of Count Carlo Borromeo 11. Isabella received the island as part of her dowry and in 1630, and it was she who envisaged and set in motion the creation of its baroque gardens to compliment the Palazzo.
Palazzo Borromeo has been added to and adapted over the centuries until it evolved into an incredibly opulent palace, designed for maximum grandeur and prestige. Any visitor, both past and present, could not fail to be impressed, which was of course the intention. The Borromeo family have been at the heart of European aristocracy for centuries and have welcomed many important guests over the centuries. There are of course beautiful staterooms, paintings, furniture, cantilevered staircases and even a whole suite of tufa and shell adorned garden rooms to provide shade and a resting place for the family and their guests in the heat of the day. Everything has been thought of and included.
The garden is strikingly theatrical and dominated structurally by Teatro Massimo. This is a flower filled amphitheater of 10 terraces forming a truncated pyramid and was used as a backdrop for lavish theatrical performances. There are statues and fountains and at the very top stands a unicorn, the heraldic symbol of the Borromeo family, just in case you were in any doubt where you were! At the summit is The Grand Terrace, which is 37 metres above the lake. As you can imagine the views in all directions are spectacular and it is difficult to know where to look. The gardens are planted once again with a variety of exotic plants, happily co-existing in this very special microclimate, where most of them would not normally grow. White peacocks roam across the lawns under a huge camphor tree and at this time of year there are roses everywhere in full bloom. It was fabulous to behold, but in a totally different guise to Isola Madre.
However magical and fantastic are the Borromeo Islands, their palazzos and gardens, these are not museum pieces. Guided by modernity, the low key Borromeo family have gently kept their historical inheritance relevant, with seemingly the humility that is at the centre of their cote of arms.Read more