The Castle of Angera and the doll museum

The most beautiful and evocative castle of Lake Maggiore, lies on the top of the hill of Angera. Since the Lombard era, the fortress dominates and controls the southeastern part of Lake Maggiore, from the Lombard side.

With the local guide, you will take a leap back into the Middle Ages, to discover a castle, that dominated the southern shore of the Lake, for over 1000 years.

The fortress, built on the ancient Lombard ruins, was at first, property of the Ambrosian church, then it belonged to the Visconti family and finally, since 1449 the castle, often renovated, is still the property of the Borromeo family.

The guided visit starts from the fourteenth-century tower of Giovanni Visconti and crosses the inner courtyard, where you can admire, a huge wine press dated 1600; just in front you will see the old stables, that now house the non-European dolls museum.

You will visit the castellana tower, the Scaligera and the Visconti wing, which accesses  the largest doll museum in Europe, with around 1300 dolls from all over the world; the collection boasts dolls of the nineteenth and twentieth century, up to the American Barbie of the thirties.

You will also visit the Mythology Hall, with mythological paintings of the seventeenth-century, realised by Lombard painters, the “Buon Romano” Hall, the Banqueting-room, the portrait Gallery, the Saint Charles room and the Justice room, that houses a cycle of very interesting frescoes, , accomplished at the end of the thirteenth century; the fresco represent 12 episodes of the Archbishop Ottone Visconti and a wonderful astrological study.

Finally you will discover the Medieval Garden with the sweet herbs, the vegetable and fruit garden and the princely garden.

Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Rocca Borromeo and Pallavicino Park will be open every day from 20th March to 1st November 2020.

Prices

For more info please visit the official Borromeo Website www.isoleborromee.it