Isola Madre - Lake Maggiore, Italy
N 45° 54.651 E 008° 32.163
32T E 464017 N 5084247
Isola Madre, at 220 m wide and 330 m long, is the largest island of the Isole Borromee archipelago which falls within the Italian part of the Alpine Lake Maggiore.
Waymark Code: WMHKX4
Location: Piemonte, Italy
Date Posted: 07/21/2013
Views: 9
The island is occupied by a number of buildings and architectural structures and is especially well known for its gardens.
In 1501 Lancillotto Borromeo, one of the five children of Giovanni III Borromeo and Cleofe Pio di Carpi, introduced the cultivation of citrus fruit to the island, the plants being brought from Liguria, along with a gardener (or hortolano) to tend them. Lancillotto began the construction of the family residence on the island, which in the 1580s was extended in the renaissance style by Renato I Borromeo.
The Palazzo Borromeo was built in the sixteenth century on the remains of the early church, cemetery and perhaps castle of San Vittore (named after the martyr Victor Maurus).
The palace is surrounded by impressive gardens, the Giardini Botanici dell'Isola Madre, covering an area of eight hectares whose construction all’Inglese (in the English style) began in the late eighteenth century on the site of a citrus orchard. Particularly prized is the scala dei morti, or staircase of the dead, which in recent decades has been embellished with an important collection of Wisterias.
The "Official Tourism" URL link to the attraction: [Web Link]
Hours of Operation:
Open March through October
09:00 - 17:30
Admission Prices:
18€ for both Isola Madre and Isola Bella.
Approximate amount of time needed to fully experience the attraction: Half of a day (2-5 hours)
Transportation options to the attraction: Personal Vehicle or Public Transportation
The attraction’s own URL: Not listed
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