Lake Maggiore also blooms in winter. On 5th and 6th December in Verbania, to mark the IX national winter camellia display (free entrance), Villa Giulia and its park will be lit up by thousands of camellia petals.

For the event, flower arrangers from the Consorzio Fiori Tipici del Lago Maggiore (first in Europe with regards camellia cultivation with over one hundred associations), collectors and garden owners will all fight it out in order to exhibit the most beautiful varieties of the Queen of winter.

A series of initiatives have been scheduled: the floral competition Francesco Ardizzoia, selling-points for camellias, books on the subject of flowers and camellia based cosmetics, workshops for children, tasting of Camellia Sinensis tea, a presentation of the volume Winter Camellias edited by the Agronomy Department of the Turin University and published by the Piedmont Region.

Following the success of Lake Maggiore's camellia at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the Princess Grace camellia, this year, the spotlight will land on Camellia Vernalis Yuletide which, with its bright red colour, makes for an original Christmas gift idea...in bloom throughout winter.

As usual, the camellia display will be accompanied by an event which focuses on the excellence of the territory. To mark the 300th anniversary of the oldest perfumery in the world Farina the cologne producer, a display has been organised by the Santa Maria Maggiore Council and the Rossetti Valentini School of fine art. The formula of their cologne was invented in the 17th Century by Gian Paolo Feminis of Crana and was called aqua mirabilis offering health benefits. It became eau de toilette in the 19th Century with Giovanni Maria Farina and gained enormous popularity.

The IX winter camellia display, promoted by Fiori Tipici del Lago Maggiore with the Verbania council, boasts the patronage of the Piedmont Region, Distretto Turistico dei Laghi, The VCO Chamber of Commerce and Province, Verbania Garden Club, AVIS Verbania and VCO Formazione.

Info: http://www.camelieinmostra.it
Verbania tourist office Tel. +39 0323 503249.