Isola Bella, a baroque garden-island off Stresa
Published on 09/09/2026 at 12:49 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Isola Bella off Stresa in northern Italy is a small island on Lake Maggiore reshaped in the seventeenth century into a baroque palace surrounded by formal terraces that occupy almost its entire surface. The island forms part of the Borromean Islands and is closely linked to the Borromeo family, whose name and heraldry still frame the experience of walking through the palazzo and its gardens.
An island turned into a baroque garden-ship
Isola Bella lies a short distance offshore from Stresa in the Borromean Gulf of Lake Maggiore, within the group of islands that also includes Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori. The island’s present character dates to the seventeenth century, when Carlo III Borromeo began turning what had been a rocky outcrop with a small fishing settlement into an aristocratic residence and formal garden dedicated to his wife Isabella d’Adda, whose name gave rise to the later form “Isola Bella”.rocky outcrop with a small fishing settlement The island is elongated and low, and the palace and gardens occupy most of its length, so that from the lake the whole ensemble reads almost as a stone and greenery garden?ship moored in the water.
Until the early seventeenth century Isola Bella was known as the lower island and supported fishermen’s houses and two churches, including dedications to San Vittore and San Rocco.fishermen’s houses and two churches Giulio Cesare III Borromeo acquired land here in the sixteenth century, and by 1632 his relative Carlo III Borromeo commissioned a grand palazzo on the island, marking the start of a long transformation from working settlement to showpiece residence.commissioned a grand palazzo Over the following centuries further members of the Borromeo family refined the layout, extending both palace and garden along the southern part of the island.
Palazzo Borromeo: a seventeenth-century lakeside residence
The core of Isola Bella is Palazzo Borromeo, a multi?storey aristocratic residence begun in 1632 and largely completed by the mid?seventeenth century.begun in 1632 and largely completed by the mid?seventeenth century From the lake, the building presents a sober baroque façade with regular window rhythms facing the water, while inside a progression of salons and galleries displays paintings, sculpture and historical furnishings collected by the Borromeo family. The palace was shaped by several generations, including Vitaliano VI Borromeo, who is regarded as a driving figure in giving the island its present layout under later architects such as Carlo Fontana.Vitaliano VI Borromeo
Rooms within the palazzo range from grand state halls with stucco decoration and painted ceilings to more intimate chambers, and there are lower?level spaces with decorated stonework that echo the island’s relationship with the lake. Portraits of members of the Borromeo family and works by Italian and European artists line the walls, reinforcing the aristocratic character of the residence. The building opens directly towards the formal gardens at the southern end of the island, so that interior sequences of rooms lead out towards terraces and balustrades framed by statues.
Terraced Italian gardens above the lake
South of the palace, Isola Bella is defined by its formal Italian garden, laid out on superposed terraces that step down towards the lake. The garden occupies the island’s southern tip, with geometric parterres, clipped hedges and stone balustrades arranged around a central axis, and is enriched by statues, obelisks and decorative urns that create a three?dimensional baroque composition.formal Italian garden laid out on terraces The terraces form a stepped pyramid of planting and stone, rising from the lake edge to a high platform with sculptural groups and views back towards Stresa and the surrounding mountains.
The planting brings together Mediterranean shrubs, ornamental trees and seasonal flowers, with avenues and paths passing between lawn panels and stone features. Historical descriptions highlight exotic species introduced over time and white peafowl moving among the vegetation and statuary.white peafowl moving among the vegetation From the upper levels of the garden the view opens in several directions, taking in the lake’s broad surface, the skyline of Stresa on the mainland and the outline of other Borromean Islands, all framed by stonework and planting that underline the island’s deliberately theatrical relationship with its surroundings.
Visiting Isola Bella: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Isola Bella sits just off the lakeside town of Stresa on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy and is reached by passenger boats that link the Borromean Islands with mainland landing stages.
- Movement on the island includes staircases within Palazzo Borromeo and stepped paths in the terraced gardens, with sequences of stone steps between different levels.
- The island landscape combines built structures and lake views, and nearby sites include Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori, which together form the Borromean Islands group on Lake Maggiore.
- The official language is Italian and the currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Isola Bella
Where is Isola Bella located?
Isola Bella is an island in Lake Maggiore a short distance off Stresa in northern Italy, forming part of the Borromean Islands group.
What can visitors expect on a trip to Isola Bella?
Visitors encounter a seventeenth?century aristocratic palace and a formal terraced garden that together occupy most of the island, with lake views framed by stone and vegetation.
What makes Isola Bella distinctive among Italian lake islands?
Isola Bella is distinctive because an entire small island has been reshaped into a single baroque palace?and?garden ensemble closely linked to the Borromeo family and their seventeenth?century project.
