Isola Bella is one of the islands in the Borromean Gulf, 400 meters from the lakeside town of Stresa in North Italy. The island was a small fishing village until 1632 when Carlo III of the House of Borromeo had a palazzo built in the name of his wife Isabella. Due to the outbreak of the plague, the construction was interrupted to be completed by his sons.
Taking over the construction, the architect Carlo Fontana turned the villa into a place of flamboyant parties and theatrical events for the nobility of Europe. The social life on the island peaked during the period of Giberto V Borromeo (1751–1837) with guests like Edward Gibbon, Napoleon, and Caroline of Brunswick, the Princess of Wales.
The Teatro Massimo is the most impressive monument in the Garden of Love on Isola Bella. It consists of statues, obelisks, and fountains perfectly integrated together with the ten scenic terraces. The 37 meters high monument also includes the statue of the Unicorn, the heraldic symbol of the Borromeo family. The garden also includes a beautiful arrangement of exotic and rare plants and other decorative elements such as ponds, fountains, and plenty of statues dating from the 17th century.
