This morning we caught the ferry to Isola Bella we could see this island from our hotel and were eager to visit. This Barque Palace was dedicated to Isabella D' Addao the wife of a Borromeo and where the island gets its name. It took almost 400 years to be completed by a highly skilled team. It is so easy to lose yourself in this magnificent place and you soon realise how special it is. You soon understand the reason so many famous and influential people have visited this Island from Neapolitan to Princess Diana. The gallery Berthier was full of stunning pieces of art. The following rooms were also just as beautiful with amazing art and fine furnishings. Each room had a grand central chandelier and ornate plasterwork. the Murano glass chandeliers were so exquisite and are worth a visit just to see them.
The throne room was very ornate with a beautiful silk hanging with embroidered mottos and badges of the Borromeo family. The colossal carved wooden figures were quite scary looking and these were all around the room. As you explore this amazing Palace you begin to admire the views from the windows.
The central room's beauty was just staggering. It was 3 floors high, painted in a light blue with white
stucco and a large domed roof. Four large cupids hold the emblems of the family. The camel is the symbol of patience. The unicorn is the symbol of devotion, the horse is a symbol of strength, and finely the Citron is the symbol of the Borromeo Islands. After some refreshments, we made our way to the grotto. These caves were much needed today as it was a really hot day. The stones and rocks must have taken years to be placed in these grottos. They were on every inch of the floors, walls, and ceiling.
As we made our way to the gardens we came across a tapestry room, there were six large flemish tapestries from 1565, each one was a piece of art depicting mythical scenes representing morals and sin. The embroideries were very intricate using wool, silk, and gold thread.
As we came to the gardens we were not disappointed. This Italian-style Baroque garden was immense. It had 10 tiers with statues, fountains, and amazing, beautiful, and unusual flora and fauna. It is now a dream of mine to visit this garden in every season.
We enjoyed our time on this beautiful, breathtaking island and then caught a boat to Island Pescartori and partook in the famous fish lunch of Perch. This small charming island seems to be lost in time, the quaint little two-story houses with the long balconies once used for drying fish were so cute. We ambled our way down the little winding alleyways and spent the afternoon eating and drinking while watching the day go by. We have had a very lovely memorable day.
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