Villa Pallavicino

History

The name of the town first appeared in documents on 15 January AD 998 as "Strixsya"; later "Strexia", "Strexa" and "Stresia" were used. In 1014 Stresa was donated by Emperor Henry II to the female Benedictine monastery of San Felice of Pavia. In the 15th century it grew into a fishing community and owed feudal allegiance to the House of Visconti of Milan. It subsequently came under the control of the Borromeo family.

In 1948 American author and journalist Ernest Hemingway visited the town; he had set part of his 1929 novel Farewell to Arms in the Grand Hotel des Îles Borromées.

Stresa hosted a number of political conferences in the 20th century, including in:

1935 when the UK, Italy and France re-affirmed the Treaty of Locarno and agreed to form the Stresa front to combat and contain Nazi Germany and

1958 when the foundations of what would become Europe's Common Agricultural Policy of the European Economic Community were formulated

Main sights

Borromean Islands near Stresa are major points of interest and can be seen from Stresa.

Villa Ducale, commissioned by Giacomo Filippo Bolongaro and dating from about 1770. In 1848 the villa passed to the Italian philosopher Antonio Rosmini-Serbati and today it houses the International Centre for Rosminian Studies.

Villa Dell'Orto, built in 1900. It was commissioned by the painter Liberto Dell'Orto and designed by Boffi.

The large Villa Pallavicino, between Stresa and Belgirate. It was the inspiration of Ruggero Bonghi in the 1850s and now is the site of a zoological park.

Church of Saints Ambrogio and Theodul (restored in Neoclassical style by Giuseppe Zanoia in 1790)

Famous buildings of Stresa in movies

Villa Castelli, location of the black comedy Beati i ricchi (Blessed Are the Rich) (1972) by Salvatore Samperi, the TV movie horror Ho incontrato un'ombra (1974) by Daniele D'Anza, the thriller The Bishop's Bedroom (1977) by Dino Risi and the drama La Sapienza (2014) by Eugène Green.

Regina Palace Hotel, location of Totò al giro d'Italia (1948) by Mario Mattoli, Miss Italia (1950) by Duilio Coletti, Grand Hotel Excelsior (1982) by Castellano & Pipolo.