Lake Maggoire Day 4 - Isola Madre

Today we visited Isola Madre, which is the largest of the Borromean islands. As we approached on the ferry, we could already see how magnificent the mansion and acres of gardens were going to be.

Inside the mansion, we were not disappointed. The rooms were full of exquisite artwork, Murano Chandeliers, and Venetian furniture, showcasing Italian Baroque style.

                                        

Although not as grand as the palace we saw yesterday, some people might find it disappointing, but we really didn't. One of us found the hall of Battles particularly interesting.

We also visited the vast puppet theatre, which had a large collection of puppets, scripts, clothes, and backdrops.  

The gardens are extensive, with a variety of species of plants and trees. Although we went in early September, so not everything was still in bloom, it was still worth a wander. After our enjoyable morning, we caught the ferry to Verbania and ate a light lunch in the main square. 

 The sky was a little dull, so we watched the world go by for a while, then descended onto the shops. The shops were just so exciting when on holiday, even the fruit and veg shops. We visited a small museum, Museo Del Paesaggio, which showcased a large collection of sculptures by the artist Paolo Troubetzkoy. He was the son of a Russian prince and an American woman who lived in Italy and returned to Pallanza, where the town still displays his sculptures. 

The gallery hosts several sculptures and plenty of plaster works that you don't normally get to see. These were almost more exciting to look at, as you could see the finer detail and the history of the blocks of plaster with each chisel mark. We really enjoyed this part of the gallery. His paintings were also quite remarkable, showing how he obtained the movement and character of his work that he carried through to his sculpture work. The brush strokes he got in his painted pieces, he conveyed in his sculptures too. 

We got to see the plasterwork of his most famous sculpture of Alexander III, which stands in Russia in front of the Marble Palace.

After spending an hour or so admiring the paintings, we explored the rest of the small but charming gallery. It's definitely worth a visit, especially if you appreciate art.

 We also stumbled upon an exhibition featuring Alessi and their collaborations with famous designers, although I'm not sure if it's a permanent show. 

The rest of our day was spent wandering around the town, which was absolutely stunning and had that unique Italian charm. We then returned to Baveno, where we treated ourselves to an Aperol Spritz while enjoying the breathtaking view of the lake. Baveno is a perfect place to use as your base for exploring the lake. It's a lot quieter than Stressa, with fewer restaurants and bars, but we found this to be a plus. In the evenings, it's really peaceful, and you never struggle to find somewhere to eat or drink. We even discovered a hidden gem where we enjoyed an apéritif before our evening of drinking.