Gardens of Beauty

Book excerpt: A tribute to the beauty of the famed Italian gardens of Isola Bella and Isola Madre, two precious jewels of Italy’s Lake Maggiore. The islands of Isola Bella and Isola Madre have belonged to the Borromeo family since the sixteenth century. From the very beginning, this noble Italian family aimed to transform these fishing islands into small earthly paradises boasting lush gardens. With stunning photography and informative texts, this book explores the enchanting scenery of both islands. Named after Countess Isabella Borromeo, Isola Bella is an attractive terraced pyramid of formal gardens with baroque scenery of monumental stairs, statue-topped balustrades, and obelisks. Isola Madre, the largest of the lake islands, has a beautiful Renaissance palace surrounded by a botanical garden, famous for its variety of flowers and plants due to the mild climate. The exquisite flora includes azaleas, rhododendrons, magnolias, ancient camellias, water lilies, lotus flowers, and Mediterranean citrus plants. So magical that they even once fascinated the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, the Borromeo Gardens are breathtakingly represented in this lavishly illustrated tome.