What were the enchanting tales that delighted the public before the advent of cinema and TV? Those of the fascinating marionette shows. Until the twentieth century, puppet theatres were not considered as entertainment reserved exclusively for children. On the contrary. Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Madre is the perfect place to discover how the nobility of the past enjoyed their leisure time. 

One of the largest and most important collections in the world of stage sets and scenery for puppet shows is conserved inside the palazzo, between the Salone di Ricevimento (Reception Hall), the Biblioteca (Library), the sala delle Stagioni (Seasons room) and the sala delle Battaglie (Battles room). A genuine home theatre was created for the Borromeo family and their guests, entrusted to experts such as the scenographer of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. There was also no shortage of special effects at the time, with mechanical devices used to create fog, fire and scenic noises.
The pleasure of enchanting the villa’s guests continues in the Salotto Veneziano (Venetian Lounge) with a trompe l'oeil that is so perfect and sophisticated that it gives the impression of being in a flowering gazebo. 

The late sixteenth-century edifice, adorned with terracotta panels, and encircled by a magnificent English garden, epitomises the ancient and rustic style of noble country houses with its terracotta floors, large fireplaces and coffered ceilings. A stroll through the rooms and halls amongst the exquisite tapestries, furniture and paintings originating from the numerous historic residences that the family owned in Lombardy, becomes an almost intimate journey into “how the Borromeos lived”.