Stresa, queen of Lake Maggiore

Stresa is a town in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in Piedmont. It is considered the queen of Lake Maggiore and enjoys a magnificent position, under the slopes of Mottarone. The parks, the gardens, the beautiful villas, the enchanting view of the Borromean islands make Stresa one of the most important tourist resorts. In addition to the beauty of the landscape and the cool summer climate, there is a well-developed tourist sector, made up of first-rate services and hotels, at the service of the visitor. This village appears in documents even before the year one thousand with the name of Strixia, a small strip of land. In the 15th century it was transformed from a fishing village to a fief of the Visconti family, later it passed to the Borromeo family. During the nineteenth century it was chosen by many travelers on the Grand Tour, a famous tour that included the most authentic places to visit in Europe. In the historic center it is a must to visit the church of Sant'Ambrogio, to admire some seventeenth-century paintings inside.