Lake Maggiore - or Verbano as it called - is Italy's second largest lake after Garda and lies in the shelter of the alpine circle between Lombardy, Piedmont and Switzerland.
The lake's catchment area is very large and it receives its waters from the Ticino and Maggia rivers, Lake Lugano via the Tresa mountain stream, from Lake Orta via the river Strona, and from Lake Varese via the river Bardello.
The lake was of fundamental importance to communications in northern Italy from the Roman era. In the 15th c., it helped to defend the Signoria of Milan from Swiss territories when the city's various lands were given to the Borromeo family. This was the beginning of a dominion that still marks the lake (the Borromeo islands, the forts of Arona and Angera, the castles of Cannero).
Favored with a mild climate, the shoreline became a holidaying area in the 18th c. The green banks are filled with villas, parks and gardens which are still very popular tourist destinations.
Beyond Stresa, the jewel on the lake with its splendid Borromeo islands, Lake Maggiore is blessed with superb landscapes, views and monuments. The ancient Sanctuary of Santa Caterina del Sasso and the Fort at Angera on the Lombardy shore, the attractive nature park in Ticino and Valgrande, the superb botanical gardens at Villa Taranto and Isola Madre, and the many villas and parks along the shore are some of the attractions that the lake offers.
