4 Islands to Explore in Piedmont

Castelli di Cannero are three rocky islets of Lake Maggiore in northern Italy. It appears to majestically rise from the lake’s waters, giving the impression of floating. Positioned close to the shore of the Cannero Riviera, these fascinating ruins were once part of the Rocca Vitaliana, a fortress built to defend the land from Swiss invasions. All that remains of the castle on the western islet is a ruined tower and some crumbling parts of the wall.

L ' Isola Bella is located in Lake Maggiore, is part of the group of so-called Borromean Islands, and is located in the Gulf dedicated to the famous family who still has the property, about 400 meters off the coast of Stresa. It measures 320 meters long and 180 meters wide and is largely occupied by the Italian garden of the Borromeo palace, which occupies the north-western coast of the islet.

L ' Isola Dei Pescatori, also known as Isola Superiore, is the only archipelago of the Borromeo in Lake Maggiore to be permanently inhabited. 100 meters wide by 350 meters long, it houses a small village, with characteristic multi-story houses, with a small square, characteristic narrow alleys, the lakefront, and the main street to allow the movements strictly on foot of the 57 inhabitants who live off fishing and tourism.

The island of San Giulio is the only island of Lake Orta and is part of the municipality of Orta San Giulio, in the province of Novara, in Piedmont. There is a small inhabited center where the buildings of greater historical importance are the Basilica of San Giulio and the Mater Ecclesiae abbey, built on the ruins of an ancient castle and which occupies a large part of the island's surface. Currently, the island is permanently inhabited only by very few families, in addition to the monastery.