VERBANIA
Municipio Tel. 0300.000.000
Informazioni Turistiche Tel. 0323.503.249 - 0323.556.669
Pro Loco Tel. 0323.557.676
Verbania
has been defined a garden on the lake. It is a large council, started in 1939 from the union with the municipality of Intra and
Pallanza, to which two coast places have been included, Fondotoce
and Suna, and other small villages of
the hinterland. This city is the major commercial and industrial centre of
Lago Maggiore and the district town of Verbano Cusio Ossola. A perfect
tourist organisation contributes to define Verbania as an excellent centre of international
vacation.
The actual Municipal House is an arcade palace supported by 32 pillars
made of pink granite from Baveno and is situated in the centre of Pallanza.
The little town overlooking the Borromean Gulf still offers intact charm of the aristocratic
vacation resort, with large hotels absorbed in the colourful discretions of the parks.
The most important monuments are: Palazzo Viani - Dugnani, seat of the Landscape
Museum; the 16th century church of Madonna di Campagna; the monuments made from the sculptor Troubetzkoy.
Who loves gardens can visit the ones of Villa San Remigio, near the little romanesque church,
on the top of the promontory. Here the Italian garden and the English one harmonize
with the surrounding landscape. 
Villa Giulia 
, with a beautiful
facade with columns and loggias, has got a garden rich in plants. Villa San Remigio
is situated at the top of Castagnola promontory.
But the most appreciated destination is on the north eastern side of Castagnola: Villa Taranto 
.
Here the wonderful background
is based on the style of absolute spontaneity 
and, among terraces, tubs, waterfalls, there is a beautiful
botanical garden, with more than 20.000 variety of plants, some of them unusual, which offers, from spring
to autumn, special blossomings. Here, the gardening is the pagemaster of art, technique and
entertainment.
Who arrives from the lake, meets Intra, the most populated among the lacustral
resorts, which composes Verbania - and the fine bell tower of San Vittore. The mountains, beyond
the built up area, are wonderful, and each little village seems a 
terrace on the lake. Intra, almost
modern, is a health resort, but also an industrial town. The characteristic landing stage, with the
architecture of the end of 19th century, expresses the vocation that this resort has always had for
the navigation. In fact, Intra is one of the most important port of call. From Intra there are the departures
of ferry-boats, which link the Piedmontese shore to the Lombardian one, reaching Laveno.
There are many entertainments taking place yearly in Verbania. Many of them deal with the art of gardening,
and in fact there are the weeks dedicated to azaleas, tulips, 
orchids. Everything finishes with the explosion of
flowers of "Corso Fiorito", and a beautiful parade of carts on the first Sunday of September. The horse competitions 
in the horse centre of Fondotoce, begin in May and end in October. In July and August, there are many activities
organised to amuse the tourists who appreciate them gladly: concerts at Villa Giulia , sailing competitions, the open-air
cinemas, little markets, while the initiative "Verbania Città dei Bambini", closes the season in September.
© Edizioni Marwan
Fotografie: Mario Parietti
Redazione: Roberto Stangalini
