Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore: a baroque island of stone and terraces
Published on 08/14/2026 at 14:03 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore sits just offshore from Stresa, where a baroque palace, formal gardens and a small village fill almost the entire rocky island. Rising from the Borromean Gulf in northern Italy, it forms part of the historic Borromean Islands, long associated with the Borromeo family and their residence on the lake.Borromean Islands of Lake Maggiore
An island reshaped into a baroque residence
Isola Bella lies a short distance off Stresa, in the Piedmont stretch of Lake Maggiore, and is compact enough that its outline can be taken in at once from the water.Offshore from Stresa on Lake Maggiore The island is divided between the Borromeo palace at the northern end, the Italianate garden cascading towards the southern tip and a small settlement of houses clustered along the shore.Island split between palace, garden and village
The palace, known as Palazzo Borromeo, was begun in the seventeenth century for Carlo III Borromeo and developed over generations by his descendants.Long project of the Borromeo family Work on the residence and its setting continued into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, reflecting the ambition to turn a once barren rock into a constructed baroque world on the lake.Seventeenth-century palace with later additions
Palazzo Borromeo: halls, grottoes and a lakeside façade
Palazzo Borromeo occupies much of the northern part of Isola Bella and presents a long façade towards the water, with a central projection for the main hall and a roofline that signals the building’s baroque character.Façade and hall of Palazzo Borromeo Inside, visitors encounter a sequence of rooms arranged over several floors, including grand salons with decorated walls and ceilings, portraits and historical furnishings linked to the Borromeo family’s life on the island.Halls and rooms on the main floor
Among the interiors, one room is dedicated to Napoleon, recalling his stay on the island, while other spaces display paintings, sculptures and decorative arts from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries.Napoleon room and art collections Below the main levels, a series of grotto-like chambers are lined with shells, stone and mosaic work, creating an intentionally cool, cave-like sequence beneath the formal rooms above.Subterranean grottoes decorated with shells
Terraced Italianate gardens rising above the lake
South of the palace, the Italianate garden occupies the remaining length of Isola Bella, laid out in a system of terraces that step upwards above the lake.Ten successive garden terraces The garden design developed between the 1630s and the later seventeenth century, creating a series of platforms edged with balustrades, planted with geometric beds and punctuated by statues and fountains.Terraces laid out in the seventeenth century
At the upper levels, an open-air amphitheatre forms a focal point, framed by sculptures and planting, while long views extend over Lake Maggiore towards the surrounding mountains.Open-air amphitheatre in the garden Elsewhere in the grounds, lawns, ornamental trees and flowerbeds alternate with paths and stairways, giving the garden a formal structure that complements the baroque mass of the palace and reinforces the impression of the island as a constructed landscape rather than a natural shore.
Visiting Isola Bella: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Isola Bella stands in Lake Maggiore a short distance off the town of Stresa in northern Italy, reached by boat services that link the Borromean Islands with lakeside piers.
- Once ashore, the island is compact but vertically organised, with staircases inside Palazzo Borromeo and steps in the terraced garden that require steady footing over several levels.
- The palace and garden sit on a rocky base rising from the lake, so outdoor paths combine stone paving with occasional gravel surfaces and changes between sun and shade.
- Beyond the palace complex, a small village occupies part of the shoreline, with narrow lanes between houses close to the water and short walks from jetties to the entrances.
- The official language is Italian and the currency is the euro, reflecting Isola Bella’s location within Italy.
Searching for Isola Bella on social platforms
These links open searches for Isola Bella on each platform.Frequently asked questions about Isola Bella
Where is Isola Bella located?
Isola Bella is an island in Lake Maggiore, lying close to the town of Stresa in northern Italy, within the Piedmont region.
What can visitors expect on Isola Bella?
Visitors encounter the seventeenth-century Palazzo Borromeo with its decorated interiors, shell-lined grottoes and the terraced Italianate garden that occupies much of the island.
What makes Isola Bella distinctive among lake islands?
The combination of a baroque palace, multi-level formal gardens and a compact village on a single small island gives Isola Bella a constructed, theatrical character on the water.
