Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Lago Maggiore

View of Lake Maggiore – By Diriye Amey – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Lago Maggiore

Lago Maggiore (Lake Maggiore), previously called Verbano, is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. Its shoreline is divided between the Swiss Canton of Ticino and the Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy.

The lake also extends for around 65 kilometers between Locarno and Arona. Lake Maggiore is the largest lake in southern Switzerland and the second largest lake in Italy. It is second to Lake Garda in Italy.

It has a humid subtropical climate making it a favorable destination even during winter. Below are some interesting and astonishing facts about Lago Maggiore.

1. The Lake Has Two Nationalities

Lake Maggiore is both Swiss and Italian. It is situated on the border between the two countries. The upper and lower lakes are how the locals usually categorize them.

Even though Lombardy and Piedmont, two lush Italian areas, make almost 80 percent of Lake Maggiore, the Swiss portion is equally beautiful.

2. It Is a Hub for Many Sports

Scuba Diving – By NotBurtsBees – Wikipedia

Being a lake, and a large one at that, Lake Maggiore provides the perfect ground for several water sports. This includes sailing, skiing, scuba diving, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, etc.

The Verbania Vela Festival particularly is an unmissable one for sailing enthusiasts. It is held in June with wine, food, concerts, regattas, and various sports taking place along the shore.

Lake Maggiore is heaven for cycling and trekking enthusiasts. It provides a long list of eco-trails that anyone can fully immerse themselves in. The lake is also surrounded by golf clubs such as Varese, Bogogno, Pian di Sole, and Alpino.

The Lake is even accessible during winter with several facilities open and active for skiing in the Formazza and Antrona Valleys.

3. Lake Maggiore Is Surrounded by Museums and Other Tourist Attraction Sites

Museo del paesaggio (“Landscape museum”) in Verbania-Pallanza, Italy. The town hall. Picture by Giovanni Dall’Orto, April 1 2007. – By G.dallorto – Wikimedia Commons

The Lake Maggiore region’s twin glories are art and nature. Various museums document the region’s history and culture. These museums are characterized by a picturesque natural setting on the lake or in the adjacent slopes and hills.

The Landscape Museum in Verbania Pallanza houses a sizable collection of paintings, sculptures, and artifacts of archaeological relevance. The museum was established to showcase the natural beauty of the Lake Maggiore region through art.

The Rossetti Valentini Museum in Santa Maria Maggiore, the “Painters’ Valley” of the Vigezzo Valley. It houses a superb collection of works created by the many talented artists who have labored there.

The Hat Museum in Ghiffa and the Umbrella Museum in Gignese are two unusual museums. Other museums in the region include the Palazzo Borromeo, Museo del Paesaggio, Gottard Park, Museo Granum, and the Arteadarona.

4. There is An Inhabited Island on Lake Maggiore

Mount Mottarone between Lake Maggiore and Ortasee, near Stresa, view on islands and Verbania – By Mbdortmund – Wikipedia

Lake Maggiore is home to several islands. This includes the Borromean Islands, the Brissago Islands, the Castelli di Cannero, and the Isolino Partegora.

The Borromean Islands is a collection of three islands and two islets. They are located between Verbania to the north and Stresa to the south. It comprises of Isola Bella, Isola Madre, Isola dei Pescatori (or Isola Superiore), Isolino di San Giovanni (in front of Verbania) and Scoglio della Malghera (between Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori).

Isola dei Pescatori is the most northern island in the Borromean group. It is also the only island that is inhabited all year long. As of 2015, it had a population of 25.

the Brissago Islands is a collection of two islands; San Pancranzio, and Isolino. The Castelli di Cannero is a collection of three small islands just off the Cannero Riviera shore.

5. Lago Maggiore Was an Accomplice in A Tax Fraud

In 1936, Marco Schmucklerski, an architect, had his employees sink his Bugatti Type 22 Brescia Roadster into Lake Maggiore. This was done as a tactic to evade tax levies on the Bugatti when Swiss customs were investigating him.

The car was attached to an iron chain enabling Marco to recover it once the investigation was over. However, due to corrosion, the chain snapped and the car sunk to the lake’s bed.

The Bugatti would be rediscovered in 1967 by a diver, Ugo Pillon. It became a target for divers in the lake. Its wreckage was recovered on 12th July 2009. Later, on 23rd January 2010, it was sold at the Retro Mobile classic car exhibition in Paris for €260,500.

 6. There Was a Fatal Cable Car Accident Near Lake Maggiore In 2021

Mount Mottarone between Lake Maggiore and Ortasee, near Stresa, view on islands and Verbania – By Mbdortmund – Wikipedia

An aerial tram on the Stresa–Alpino–Mottarone Cable Car crashed on 23rd May 2021. This was after a traction cable snapped. The cable car was a mere 16 ft. (5 meters) from the summit of Mottarone which is near Lake Maggiore.

The crash seriously injured a child and led to the demise of 14 passengers. In a normal situation, the pneumatic safety brake was supposed to engage automatically and stopped the runway. However, the car was operating illegally with disabled brakes.

7. Lake Maggiore Was a War Crime Site

On the southern shores of Lake Maggiore is the Meina municipality. In Meina there was a famous hotel, Hotel Meina. It was owned by Alberto and Eugenia Behar, Sephardic Jews who had moved to Italy from Constantinople.

On the night of 22nd September 1943, most of the Jewish residents in the Hotel were executed by Nazi forces. Specifically, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler.

A total of 16 residents including children were executed on that night. Their bodies were then dumped in Lake Maggiore. This was only one of the cases which would come to be known as the Lake Maggiore massacres. Approximately 54 Jews were executed in these operations.

 8. The Lake Was One of Napoleon Bonaparte’s Favorite Spots

Lake Maggiore in the Evening by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1858 – By Ivan Ayvazovsky – Wikimedia Commons

Even the most brutal rulers would be moved by Lago Maggiore’s breathtaking beauty. Napoleon Bonaparte authorized the construction of a road through the lake because of its advantageous location.

According to legend, he said he had never witnessed such beauty and wanted access to this “wellspring of delight.”

9. Lake Maggiore Is Home to Several Aristocrats

Because of its lush and tranquil surroundings, Lago Maggiore attracted the interest of many aristocrats in the 16th century. Numerous of them, such as the Borromeo Family, purchased lands in the area and continue to own them now.

The lake has always been a favorite spot for artists, poets, and even writers and poets. This is part of why the lake’s scenery is plagued with superb villas, Baroque, Neoclassical mansions, and Art Nouveau.

10. It was originally Named After a Plant

Verbano was another name for Lago Maggiore. This name was given by Europeans when they first arrived in the Middle Ages. The lake’s exact name was Verbanus Lacus or Lacus Maximus.

It was because they observed bushes of verbena, rhododendron, and camellia flowers blooming along the lake’s edges. Today, it is still a location with a special gentle climate where visitors may see flowers blooming all year long.