2. Isola Bella is one of the Borromean Islands of Lago Maggiore
in north Italy. The island is situated in the Borromean Gulf 400
meters from the lakeside town of Stresa. Isola Bella is 320 meters
long by 400 meters wide and is entirely occupied by the Palazzo
Borromeo and its Italianate garden.
In 1632 Carlo III of the influential House of Borromeo began the
construction of a palazzo dedicated to his wife, Isabella D'Adda,
from whom the island takes its name. He entrusted the works to the
Milanese Angelo Crivelli, who was also to be responsible for the
planning the gardens. The works were interrupted around middle of
the century when the Duchy of Milan was struck by a devastating
outbreak of the plague. Construction resumed when the island passed
to Carlos sons, Cardinal Giberto III (16151672) and Vitaliano VI
(16201690); the latter in particular, with the financial backing of
his elder brother, entrusted the completion of the works to the
Milanese architect Carlo Fontana and turned the villa into a place
of sumptuous parties and theatrical events for the nobility of
Europe.
The completion of the gardens, however, was left to his nephew
Carlo IV (16571734). They were inaugurated in 1671. The island
achieved its highest level of social success during the period of
Giberto V Borromeo (17511837) when guests included Edward Gibbon,
Napoleon and his wife Josphine de Beauharnais, and Caroline of
Brunswick, the Princess of Wales.
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37. Images and text: Internet
Text source : Wikipedia
Music: Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli Time To Say
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Adriana