Between March and October, thousands tourists visit this large Park (over 16 hectares), which is the authentic result of that love for the nature typical of the Romantic epoch. The manifest desire of preserving, at least partially, the original wild look of the natural site, is impressing.
The site was carefully selected according to fundamental panoramic exigencies and adapted, in its rougher parts, with botanical preciosities, but without changing its original aspect on the whole. That is why this place, a natural balcony overlooking Lake Maggiore and surrounding mountains, very well known for the variety and the beauty of its flora and its fauna, attracts so many people of every age and from everywhere, and arouses their enthusiasm.
From the entrance, close to the banks of the lake, it is possible go up along a wide gravely path leading to this real natural oasis: wide meadows, shadowy paths and widenings were roses, oleanders, magnolias, narcissus, azaleas, rhododendron flourish... Everything is gracefully tuned to the woody bush, natural reserve of monumental century-old plants.
The green houses and the zoological garden with more than 40 species of animals coming from everywhere in the world (white swan, very rare ducks, crowned cranes, fallow deer, silver pheasants, goat-deer, llamas, zebras, Kangaroos Bennet, peacocks), increase still further its value and charm.
The network of paths and lanes induces to walk in the natural quietness of an environment where the woody scrub seems to protect and preserve the exceptional balance between corners sometime very different from each other: some are Italian style, some other join the 18/19-century Anglo-French style, but all of them are harmoniously integrated with the surrounding context.
The original idea of the Park is due to the Neapokitan statesman and man of culture Ruggero Bonghi, friend of Manzoni and Rosmini, so much fascinated by Lake Maggiore, as to decide, in 1855, to buy this land for building on it a small house.
But it is principally the family of marquises Pallavicino, which took the place of the duke of Vallombrosa in 1862, who takes a good part of the credit for the present splendour of the Park. The marquis Lodovico widened the estate, built carriage roads, adorned the park with statues, and converted the plain dwelling into the magnificent nineteenth-century neoclassic villa which still stands superbly on the hill.
On the other hand, it was the marquise Luisa who, in 1952, brought to an end a work began some years before: to assemble animals from every part of the world in order to put together an exceptional zoo.
In the park there are a restaurant, a coffee bar, a souvenir shop, an area for children plays, and several zones for picnic. The visit of the park is subject to a fee.
