Stresa’s elegant lakefront with its grand hotels and refined Art Nouveau buildings is a mere kilometre away, but once you cross the threshold of the Villa Pallavicino park the apparent continuity, granted by the neoclassical silhouette of the nineteenth-century villa, immediately gives way to a fascinating world of exotic plants, Tibetan goats, grazing fallow deer and Chilean flamingos perching in front of a labyrinth of roses.

Since the 1950s, the 18 hectares of park have become home to many exotic faunae: zebras, kangaroos, coatis and antigone cranes. Created by Marquise Luisa Pallavicino, this exceptional zoo has evolved over the years. Under Borromeo management since 2017, it hosts over 50 species of mammals and birds including some wild specimens, saved by the forest ranger, which would not survive if released back into the wild.

The Farm area is particularly popular for children: Tibetan goats, Saltasassi sheep, llamas, alpacas and fallow deer roam free and can be petted by visitors. A genuine contact with nature to educate and to instigate respect and trust between animals and humans.

Equally precious is the flora present in the botanical garden. Gigantic liriodendrons - amongst the oldest in Italy - thrive alongside other exotic species such as ginkgo biloba and sequoias. The park’s iconic and grandiose Cedar of Lebanon tree dominates the panorama towards Lake Maggiore and the villa, while the most fascinating species is the Davidia involucrata, also known as the handkerchief tree: its flowers are wrapped in large bratee that resemble dangling handkerchiefs. Indeed, in this enchanted world where you can pet fallow deer and drink your coffee surrounded by flamingos, it would be no surprise to find that they were real.