ISOLA MADRE
The largest island in the Borromeo Gulf, with an area of about 8 acres, it is also the most characteristic, thanks to its intimate, romantic atmosphere. The island has been owned by the Borromeo family since 1501, and underwent several transformations over the centuries: from bare rock to orchard, then from citrus grove to this English-style botanical park, realized in the early nineteenth century. Isola Madre is particularly famous for its spectacular flowering of azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias, as well as for pergolas of secular wisteria, espalier of citrons and lemons, a collection of hibiscus and the largest Kashmir Cypress (unfortunately badly damaged in 2006 by a tornado) in Europe today.
