Description of the attraction
Stresa is one of the largest cities on the Italian shores of Lake Lago Maggiore, located in the Piedmont region 90 km northwest of Milan. Its population is over five thousand people. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the tourism industry has been the main source of income for local residents. Like other coastal resorts, Stresa attracts primarily with its landscapes and monuments of history and architecture.
The first mention of Stresa is found in documents from the end of the 10th century. In the 15th century, it was a thriving fishing village that belonged to the Visconti family. Later, Stresa became the property of the Borromeo family.
For centuries, this small, in fact, town was one of the most popular holiday destinations among the European aristocracy, which "adorned" it with numerous luxurious villas. At the beginning of the 20th century, after the construction of a tunnel through the Alps, the flow of tourists to Stresa increased dramatically. One of the city's most famous guests was Ernest Hemingway, who in 1948 wrote part of his novel Farewell to Arms here in 1948. In 2002, the 10th International Conference in memory of the great writer was held in Stresa. In addition, this city annually hosts one of the most important international classical music festivals - "Settimane Musicali".
Among the attractions of Stresa, its old villas certainly stand out. Villa Ducale, designed by the architect Giacomo Filippo Bolongaro, was built in the second half of the 18th century. In 1848, it became the property of the Italian philosopher Antonio Rosmini-Serbati, and today it houses the International Center named after him. Villa del Orto, built in 1900, got its name from the artist Liberto Del Orto who decorated it. And on the territory of the huge Villa Pallavicino, located between Stresa and Belgirate, today there is a zoo.
