The beautiful Isole di Brissago (Brissago Islands) are located in the most northern part of the Periadriatic Alps, on the Swiss part of Lake Maggiore just a few kilometres from Ascona and Brissago. The largest island is called Isola di San Pancrazio, or more simply Isola Grande. The other is usually referred to as Isola di Sant’Apollinare or Isolino or Isola dei Conigli.
History of Isole di Brissago
Initially, the Isole di Brissago served as a refuge for persecuted Christians, then a group of nuns settled here between the 12th-14th centuries. After that, the islands remained uninhabited until 1885, when they became the property of Baroness Antoniette di Saint Léger who renovated the convent and was largely responsible for planting trees and plants on the island from all over the world. In 1927, she sold the island to Max Emden, a rich merchant and botany enthusiast who took great care of the garden and had the beautiful home built dominating Isola Grande.
10 years after the death of Emden (1940), the Canton Ticino, Ascona, Brissago, Ronco sopra Ascona, and several associations purchased the Islands from the merchant’s heirs and created the Canton Ticino Botanical Park, which was first opened to the public 2 April 1950.
The botanical park on the Isole di Brissago
The Canton Ticino Botanical Park is simply extraordinary. The islands’ exceptionally mild climate allows some 1,700 plant species from the Mediterranean, sub-tropical Asia, South Africa, the Americas and Oceania to grow and survive outside. They have been grouped together in the park based on the criteria of geobotany: plant associations were created based on the origin of the different species.
This way, visitors are under the impression of being among Australia’s Eucalyptuses with typical species from the same region, or surrounded by the shrubs in the Mediterranean scrub with tree heath, smilax, pistachio trees, carob trees, the white cistus, rosemary, strawberry trees, phyllirea, etc., but also shrubs like almond trees or aromatic herbs like thyme, lemon balm, lavender, etc.
Touring the Isole di Brissago
The experience in the park is certainly worth enjoying. Take a look at how to get to the marvellous Isole di Brissago!
Photo gallery Isole di Brissago
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