Pallanza
Verbania's current municipal seat is in the settlement of Pallanza. This 19th-century building has a portico upheld by 32 columns in pink granite from Baveno. This little town, located on the Gulf of Borromeo, offers the charm of aristocratic holiday resorts, with large hotels surrounded by the discretion of the parks.
Tourism in Pallanza
The most well-known monuments include: 18th-century Palazzo Viani – Dugnani, which is now home to the Museo del paesaggio (Museum of the Landscape), 16th-century Church of Madonna di Campagna, and monuments by sculptor Troubetzkoy from Intra.
The lakeside promenade completely faces south over the gulf, and has nice views of the Borromean Islands. Just before the point of the Castagnola headland, a few metres off shore, is Isolino San Giovanni (Islet of San Giovanni), which was chosen by great orchestra conductor Arturo Toscanini as a resting and holiday place. The maestro considered it the most beautiful place in the world.
Garden lovers can surround themselves with those at Villa San Remigio, which is beside the homonymous little Romanesque church on the summit of the headland. Italian and English gardens here are in perfect harmony with the surrounding scenery. Villa Giulia and its pretty façade with loggias and columns has a garden filled with trees worth visiting. Villa San Remigio is on the highest part of the Castagnola headland.
Villa Taranto
The most popular destination for ornamental botany enthusiasts is on the north-eastern side of the Castagnola point: Villa Taranto. The marvellous, complex scenery here is spontaneous, where terraces, ponds, fountains, and waterfalls develop into a botanical garden with over 20,000 plant varieties - some quite rare – offering a continuous show of copious, exceptional blooming from spring through autumn. An enviable masterpiece of the art and technique of gardening, Villa Taranto is one of the most important tourist attractions on Lake Maggiore.
