5 villas to visit on Lago Maggiore

Villa Taranto and its gardens

Villa Taranto is located on Verbania lakefront, and its extraordinary gardens have fascinated tourists from all over the world. The garden was created in the 1930s by the wealthy Scottish captain Neil McEacharn.

“A beautiful garden does not have to be large, but rather the realization of a cherished dream, even if it is only a couple of square meters wide and situated on a balcony”, he once said, but more that this quote, we are pleased to remember the anecdote that lies behind the acquisition of this villa.

The captain was travelling on the Orient Express, after a stay in Venice, when he read the sale announcement in the Times. So, he decided to go to Pallanza and, although he found the building uncomfortable because was lacking of service spaces, he chose to buy it after checking that the adjoining land could also be purchased. The transformation of the villa lasted 9 years (from 1931 to 1940). At the end, McEacharn renamed the property Villa Taranto, in honour of his ancestor Étienne Macdonald, appointed Duke of Taranto by Napoleon.

Villa Pallavicino and its zoo-park

Another pearl on Lago Maggiore is Villa Pallavicino, which stands on the outskirts of Stresa. It was designed by the statesman Ruggero Borghi around the mid-nineteenth century and, after various vicissitudes, it was purchased by the Genoese marquis Ludovico Pallavicino, who transformed the park into an English garden.

Besides the building, which has an elegant but sober facade, characterized by an almost total symmetry, villa Pallavicino owes its fame to its Zoo Park. The 20 hectares of park are populated by over 40 species of animals, while the botanical garden, full of old trees, it is visited by thousands of people every year.

The British charme of Villa Henfrey-Branca

It is among the most beautiful villas to visit on Lago Maggiore, and also among the oldest, the one we can find in Baveno. Built between 1871 and 1873 by Sir Henfrey, this villa has clear references to English Gothic. The construction is breathtaking, eclectic with its spiers, exposed bricks, towers and marble terraces. While the park, which slopes down to the lake, houses a swimming pool, two churches, a stable for horses and a small service cottage. Among his most illustrious guests, we remember Queen Victoria of England and Prince William of Prussia.

Palazzo Borromeo: a Baroque art treasure suspended over the water

On the most stunning island of Lago Maggiore - Isola Bella - stands the masterpiece of Palazzo Borromeo, residence of the homonymous counts. If inside the baroque furnishings leave you breathless, as well as the Gallery of Paintings, which houses works by Raffaello, Correggio, Tiziano and Guido Reni, outside its terrace gardens lead the visitor through rare and exotic plants up to magnificence of Teatro Massimo with its three superimposed exedras and numerous statues. A setting that leaves you speechless.

Villa del Sasso: a dream that can be purchased

Last but not least, among the villas to visit on Lago Maggiore we recommend this historical mansion that has little to envy to the previous ones, but boats even one more feature. Well, because it is among the most exclusive villas for sale Lago Maggiore Piedmont shore available on Engel & Völkers.

We are speaking about Villa del Sasso: a unique early 1900 Lake property, with private beach. Numbers can partially summarize its extraordinary potential (1,200 square meters of commercial area, 1.5 hectares of adjacent park), however, it is really difficult to describe all its charm in words.

Villa Del Sasso, with its breathtaking view that goes from the Lombard shore to Switzerland, is located a few kilometres from the Swiss border. The driveway passes through a park of about 15,000 square meters, in which there is also a completely renovated and furnished outbuilding of 150 square meters.

The main villa is spread over four levels. In the basement room, the relax area with gym and a kitchen equipped with industrial equipment makes this property interesting also as a luxury bed & breakfast or a welcoming five-star hotel.