Isola Madre

Isola Madre is the largest and most tranquil of the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore, given over almost entirely to a celebrated botanical garden laid out in the relaxed English style rather than the strict geometry of neighbouring Isola Bella. Owned by the Borromeo family, the island enjoys an exceptionally mild microclimate that allows tender and exotic species to flourish, and visitors wander winding paths past flowering camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, hibiscus and one of Europe's largest Kashmir cypress trees, which was uprooted by a storm in 2006 and dramatically winched back upright. Peacocks, pheasants and other ornamental birds roam freely among the plantings, giving the gardens an almost dreamlike calm. At the heart of the island stands the sixteenth-century Palazzo Borromeo, more intimate than its grand sister palace, displaying period furnishings, porcelain, livery and a charming collection of antique marionettes and theatre puppets together with their painted stage sets. A visit usually takes an hour and a half to two hours including the ferry, and the gentle pace suits those who enjoy gardens and quiet over grandeur. The island is at its most beautiful in spring, when the camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons are in flower, and is generally less crowded than Isola Bella; mornings are calmest and best for photography of the blooms and the lake beyond. The palace and gardens open from spring to autumn and close in winter. Reached by ferry from Stresa, Baveno or Pallanza, Isola Madre makes a serene complement to the more theatrical sights of the Lake Maggiore shore on the western edge of Piedmont.