This 19th-century villa with English-style gardens hosts occasional concerts and other events, though it's mostly used for weddings and other conferences – and is generally closed to the public. Several of the out buildings are available for one-week holiday rentals.
Villa Rusconi-Clerici
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.33 MILES
Rising dramatically above the Old Town, this medieval stronghold is Bellinzona’s most visible icon. Head up Salita San Michele from Piazza Collegiata, or…
29.4 MILES
On cloudless days, you can see Lake Maggiore from this 13th-century hilltop fortification. The fortress is one of Bellinzona’s most impressive with its…
Santuario della Madonna del Sasso
21.04 MILES
Overlooking the town, this sanctuary was built after the Virgin Mary supposedly appeared in a vision to a monk, Bartolomeo d’Ivrea, in 1480. There’s a…
29.39 MILES
From central Bellinzona, it’s a 3.5km hike south to the Castello di Sasso Corbaro. Perched high on a wooded hillside, the castle has an austere beauty…
26.5 MILES
Como’s awesome marble-clad cathedral is one of the most important buildings on the lake, incorporating a variety of styles – Romanesque, Renaissance and…
26.51 MILES
This elegant 18th-century villa on the banks of Lake Como was once home to composer Vincenzo Bellini is now an award-winning luxury hotel.
2.14 MILES
The Borromean Gulf forms Lake Maggiore's most beautiful corner, sheltering the Borromean Islands and their spectacular, privately owned palaces. Closest…
7.57 MILES
In the unassuming town of Casalzuigno, about 9km east of Laveno, generations of nobles have swanned about the magnificent gardens of Villa della Porta…
Nearby attractions
0.03 MILES
Theatrical Villa Giulia, with its towering lemon-yellow facade and colonnaded balconies, has a photogenic setting on the lakeside. Originally the home of…
0.3 MILES
Set in a stately 17th-century palazzo tucked down one of Pallanza's back lanes, this museum houses an exquisite collection of works by sculptor Paolo…
0.63 MILES
At Villa Taranto it's all about the gardens (the house itself is not open to the public). The grounds of this late-19th-century villa are one of Lake…
1.02 MILES
The closest of the three islands to Verbania, Isola Madre is entirely taken up by the Palazzo Madre and the lovely gardens that surround it. The 16th- to…
2.14 MILES
The Borromean Gulf forms Lake Maggiore's most beautiful corner, sheltering the Borromean Islands and their spectacular, privately owned palaces. Closest…
2.14 MILES
This tiny church on equally tiny Isola Superiore generally gets more tourists than congregation, except on 14 August when its saintly figurine – the…
2.16 MILES
Presiding over 10 tiers of spectacular terraced gardens roamed by peacocks, this baroque palace is arguably Lake Maggiore's finest building. Wandering the…
2.52 MILES
For the best passeggiata (afternoon stroll) on Lake Maggiore head for Stresa, where a 2km-long lakeside promenade meanders through florid gardens and past…