From a fishermen's islet to a Baroque treasure at its finest expression. The founder of Isola Bella is considered Vitaliano VI Borromeo, who, in the second half of the 1600s, continued and completed the project that led to the construction of Palazzo Borromeo and its associated garden. The central point of the palace is the Berthier Gallery with its 130 paintings, some of which were painted by Raphael and Titian. Other splendid spaces include the Throne Room, the Queens' Room, the Tapestry Hall, and the Grottoes. Outside the palace, the Italian Baroque Garden is a rainbow of colors with each bloom and features the Teatro Massimo with its statues, obelisks, and fountains that harmonize with the surrounding landscape.

Among the islands of Lake Verbano, thanks to its eight hectares, it is the largest, and this is not its only distinction. Isola Madre, owned by the Borromeo family almost continuously since the 1500s, was described by Gustave Flaubert as "the most voluptuous place seen in the world." Perhaps the French writer was captivated by the English botanical garden, created in the early 1800s, which houses valuable and exotic plant species. Noteworthy is the terrace of proteas, unique in its kind, ensuring continuous blooms, along with a colorful fauna, including vibrant birds such as peacocks and pheasants.
Of great value is the sixteenth-century Palazzo Borromeo, which includes important rooms like the Reception Hall, the Seasons Room, the Library, the Battle Room, the Popes' Room, and the Venetian Sitting Room, located in the sunniest spot of the palace, which also houses the puppet theater.

Built on a rocky spur in Angera, it is the example of a perfectly preserved medieval fortified construction. Acquired by Vitaliano I Borromeo in 1449, it consists of five different buildings: the Castle Tower, the Scaligera Wing, the Visconti Wing, the Tower of Giovanni Visconti, and the Wing of the Borromeo. Its rooms are adorned with splendid 14th-century frescoes, such as those painted on the walls of the Justice Room shortly after the Battle of Desio in 1277, or the heraldic motifs painted in the Scaligera Wing. Before spending some time strolling in the Medieval Garden almost suspended in an atmosphere of peace, do not miss the Doll and Toy Museum, founded in 1988 by Princess Bona Borromeo Arese, distinguished by the quality, variety, and rarity of the collection, ranking as the largest in Europe in its sector.

In one of the most charming locations on Lake Maggiore, not far from Stresa, on an area of about 18 hectares, Pallavicino Park is a wonderful botanical garden that hosts over 50 species of mammals and birds, including some specimens of wild animals. Joining the Borromeo Lands circuit since 2017, the Park is the garden of Villa Pallavicino, named after the Genoese family that, after purchasing it in 1862, transformed it into a neoclassical villa. The decision to turn the garden into a zoo dates back to 1956, and since then, Pallavicino has welcomed wild animals such as zebras, kangaroos, coatis, Antigone cranes, and flamingos that, for various reasons, could no longer survive in their natural habitat. The Park also offers the opportunity for direct contact with the animals, thanks to the presence of a Farm. Do not miss the Flower Garden, with its rose garden and flowerbeds, as well as the tree species, including centuries-old chestnuts, giant tulip trees, ginkgo biloba, and sequoias.

To reach Mottarone Park, you need to take the Borromeo Road, and reaching an altitude of 1491 meters, you arrive at the Summit, where you can admire a panoramic view ranging from the Po Valley to the peaks of the Alps, including Monte Rosa and the seven lakes: Maggiore, d'Orta, Mergozzo, Varese, Comabbio, Monate, Biandronno. Mottarone, also known as the "Mountain between the Two Lakes," is frequented year-round by sports enthusiasts. There are numerous trails and routes to explore by bike, on foot, or on horseback in the beautiful season, and with skis on foot when the snow blankets the mountain. Not far from the summit, nature enthusiasts can visit the "Alpinia Botanical Garden," which houses more than seven hundred species in its 40,000 square meters of surface

They represent one of the most picturesque views of Lake Maggiore, not only because they are colonized by various species of water birds but also for the history they tell to those who wish to listen. Castelli di Cannero rise on two small islands not far from the shore of the town of Cannobio and date back to the early 15th century with events linked to the lives of the Mazzardi brothers of Ronco. After being destroyed in 1414, in 1441, Filippo Maria Visconti donated the fief of Cannobio to Vitaliano I Borromeo, and in 1519, it was the Borromeo family that built the "Vitaliana" fortress on the ruins, in memory of the dynasty's progenitor. Restoration work is currently underway to restore the Castles to their ancient splendor.

Rising on the road that connects Arona with Dagnente is the Colossus of San Carlo Borromeo. Standing at 35 meters and visitable from the inside, it is among the tallest statues in the world, second only to the Statue of Liberty. From its summit, visitors can see the lake and the landscape through the openings in the eyes, nostrils, ears, or through the openings on the back. Commissioned by Federico Borromeo, the statue was created to honor his cousin Carlo, the Archbishop of Milan, born in the Rocca di Arona in 1538 and declared a saint on November 1, 1610, by Pope Paul V.

Located on the opposite bank of Angera, the Borromea Rocca di Arona was probably part of a single defensive system capable of controlling all movements on the waters of the southern basin of Lake Maggiore, a nearly obligatory passage for travels from beyond the Alps to Milan and Pavia.

Built just before the year 1000 by the Lombards, the fortress became the property of the Borromeo family in 1439, through enfeoffment by Filippo Maria Visconti to Vitaliano I Borromeo. Today, the fortress, which gave birth to San Carlo Borromeo on October 2, 1538, is undergoing significant conservation restoration.