Palazzo Borromeo — Isola Bella
Palazzo Borromeo — Isola Bella
Italy · Piedmont, Lake Maggiore · Near Stresa
Built 1632 · Baroque palace on an island; construction began 1632 under Count Carlo III Borromeo; the island was reshaped entirely to accommodate the palace and its terraced gardens; 10 floors of baroque state rooms; the Italianate terraced gardens (giardini all'italiana) rise in 10 tiers from the lakeshore; the island's silhouette resembles a ship viewed from Stresa, with the palazzo as the hull and the gardens as the rising decks
This page is part of an independent travel guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Palazzo Borromeo — Isola Bella.
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Quick Facts
- Hours
- Daily 09:00–18:00
- Entry via GYG
- €40
- Duration
- 2–3 hours on Isola Bella; 4–5 hours for both islands combined
- Best time
- May to September
- Nearest city
- Stresa
Featured Tour
Borromean Islands: Isola Bella & Isola Madre Entry Ticket
Cancellation available · Instant confirmation
Highlights
- ✦The terraced Baroque gardens — 10 levels of Italianate garden rising from the lakeshore, planted with citrus trees, camellias, roses, jasmine, and native lake plants; one of the finest garden designs of the 17th century in Italy
- ✦The Sala di Napoleone — the bedroom where Napoleon and Josephine slept during the Cisalpine Republic period (1797); the iron campaign bed survives in the room where Napoleon signed documents of the new republic
- ✦The palazzo state rooms — 10 floors of Baroque interiors including the Ballroom, the Hall of Mirrors, the Throne Room, and six subterranean grottoes decorated entirely with shells, pebbles, and mirror fragments
- ✦The six subterranean grottoes — the palace's most extraordinary feature: underground rooms decorated floor-to-ceiling with a mosaic of shells, river pebbles, tufa, and mirrors, creating a surreal aquatic fantasy beneath the formal baroque apartments above
- ✦Borromean Islands boat circuit — the €40 entry ticket (t1282276) covers Isola Bella and Isola Madre with boat transfers between islands; Isola Madre is larger, quieter, and gardens-focused with the finest botanical collection on the lake
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Isola Bella is a tiny island in Lake Maggiore — a teardrop of rock 320 metres long and 180 metres wide — that the Borromeo family of Milan spent 150 years transforming into one of the most extraordinary garden palaces in Europe. The project began in 1632 when Count Carlo III Borromeo commissioned a baroque palace for his wife Isabella (the island was renamed Isola Bella — Beautiful Island — in her honour), and expanded through the 17th century into the full 10-tier garden complex visible today.
The island itself was reshaped to accommodate the design: the natural rock was extended with landfill, the gardens were built on successive terraced platforms rising from the water's edge, and the palazzo was constructed against the northern face of the island. Viewed from Stresa, the result resembles a baroque ship: the palazzo as hull, the terraced gardens rising like layered decks, topped by the statue of a unicorn (the Borromeo heraldic animal) at the highest point.
The palazzo interiors range from the genuinely spectacular to the historically significant. The state rooms — ballroom, hall of mirrors, throne room — are lavishly decorated in 17th and 18th-century Baroque style. The Sala di Napoleone (Napoleon's Room) is historically the most charged: Napoleon and Josephine stayed at Isola Bella in 1797 during his Italian campaign, and the iron campaign bed he used survives in the room where he signed early documents of the Cisalpine Republic.
The six subterranean grottoes are the most unusual feature: underground rooms running beneath the formal gardens, decorated entirely with a mosaic of shells, river pebbles, tufa, black-and-white stone, and mirror fragments in patterns suggesting marine grottos and underwater caves. They were built in the 17th century as cooling rooms and retreats from the summer heat — and are the single most memorable interior in the palace.
**The combined ticket (t1282276, €40) is the recommended option:** it covers Isola Bella, Isola Madre (the larger, quieter island with an extraordinary botanical garden), boat transfers between both islands, an audio guide, and a guided tour — a complete Lake Maggiore experience that does not require organising boat logistics separately.
History
The Borromeo family — originally Milanese merchants who rose through banking and civic service to become one of the most powerful noble families in Lombardy — acquired Isola Bella and other islands on Lake Maggiore in the 14th century. Their lake island holdings were a retreat from Milan rather than a military asset; the lake islands had no strategic value but exceptional scenic quality.
Count Carlo III Borromeo initiated the transformation of Isola Bella in 1632. The construction was managed after his death by his son Vitaliano VI Borromeo, who directed the project to something like its current form by the 1670s. The gardens were planted throughout this period; the final upper terraces and decorative elements extended into the 18th century. The palace has never been sold: it remains the private property of the Borromeo family (Counts and Princes Borromeo), who manage the islands as a heritage and tourism enterprise.
The Borromeo connection to Catholicism is significant: the family produced two Roman Catholic saints — Carlo Borromeo (Cardinal Archbishop of Milan, 1538–1584, canonised 1610) and Federigo Borromeo (founder of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan). This religious prestige reinforced the family's political and social position through the Counter-Reformation period.
How to Visit
Getting there: Train from Milan Milano Centrale to Stresa (approximately 1 hour; trains run regularly). The Stresa ferry piers are adjacent to the station. Boats to Isola Bella depart from the Stresa waterfront and from Baveno and Verbania; the crossing takes 5–10 minutes. Isola Bella is only accessible by boat — there is no road or bridge.
Tickets: Walk-up entry €30 adult, €18 child (Isola Bella only, boat transfer not included — add approximately €10 return for the public ferry from Stresa). The GYG combined ticket (t1282276, from €40, 4.5★/78 reviews) covers Isola Bella + Isola Madre + boat transfers between islands + audio guide + guided tour — the most convenient option as it eliminates the need to organise boat logistics separately — book in advance, particularly in peak summer when the island is busy.
Practical tips: Open late March to late October only — the island closes completely in winter; check exact opening dates at isoleborromee.it each year. Allow 2–3 hours on Isola Bella alone; 4–5 hours for both islands combined. The terraced gardens (10 tiers) are at their best in May (azaleas, rhododendrons) and summer; the upper tiers involve many steps and are not suitable for visitors with limited mobility. The six subterranean shell grottoes beneath the palace are the most unexpected feature of the visit — not to be missed.
Combine with: [Rocca di Angera](/castles/italy/rocca-di-angera) — the Borromeo family's medieval fortress on the Lombard shore of Lake Maggiore, visible from the islands and reachable by ferry.
Frequently Asked Questions
The single-island Isola Bella entry (t1281736, approximately €27 walk-up or comparable GYG price) does not include the boat transfer to reach the island — visitors would need to purchase a separate public ferry ticket and organise their own transit. The €40 combined ticket (t1282276) includes boat transfers between Isola Bella and Isola Madre, entries to both islands, an audio guide, and a guided tour — a complete, self-contained experience. If you plan to visit both islands (recommended), the combined ticket is the more logical choice and avoids the logistics gap.
Location
Isola Bella, 28838 Stresa VB, Italy
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