The camellia, the flower which has become the emblem of Lake Maggiore, is celebrated every December on the occasion of the National Winter Camellia Show.

Held in Villa Giulia, the show includes a hundred camellias from the top collections in the Lake Maggiore area, and is the result of collaboration between the Consortium of Typical Flowers of Lake Maggiore and Verbania Town Council.

The Consortium, the only national organisation specialising in camellia growing, provides the species on display, along with public and private lakeside villas such as those on the Borromean Islands, Villa Taranto and Villa Pallavicino.

Although the camellia (designated the “official flower” of the Turin Winter Olympics in 2006) is of Asiatic origin, it has found a second home in the Lake Maggiore area, where the temperate climate and acid soil provide optimal conditions for its cultivation.

The show displays the huge variety of winter flowering camellias.  From a small shrub the plant can sometimes reach a height of 5 metres, and its flowering period extends from the autumn throughout the winter.

The show is accompanied by a variety of cultural events, such as presentations of books on flowers, gourmet refreshments and workshops for children.  Many camellia plants are for sale.