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A historic park on Lake Maggiore
Two hundred years of trees, blooms and lake views: the historic park of Casali della Cisterna in Belgirate.
A botanical garden as old as the house
In 1827 Princess Luisa Dal Pozzo della Cisterna received this estate as a wedding gift. The park came with the houses: it overlooks Lake Maggiore and was tended for generations by the marquises’ gardeners, who lived in one of the two houses that are now our Relais.
In the 19th century the great families of the lake competed to bring plants from every corner of the world to their shores. That is how Californian sequoias, Japanese cedars, the camphor tree from East Asia, camellias, magnolias and giant bamboo arrived here. Two centuries later they have grown into majestic specimens, and the park has become a small private botanical garden between Stresa and Arona.
Today it is the place our guests enjoy most: a morning walk along the paths, the cool shade of the sequoias in the hottest hours, a lawn from which to watch the lake from sunrise to sunset. In reviews, along with the peace and the view, the garden is one of the things guests remember most often.
- Since 1827the park has been part of the house’s history
- 36 specimensmarked on the botanical map
- Three continentsplants from Asia, the Americas and Europe
- Flowers almost all yearfrom camellias and azaleas to hydrangeas, magnolias and lotus flowers
- Lake viewslawns, shaded benches and room to stroll
The park in pictures
Tap a photo to view it full screen.
What’s in bloom, month by month
The park changes colour almost every month. Dates are approximate: a warm or late spring can shift the blooms by a few weeks.
January
The green of the evergreens: holm oaks, magnolias, incense cedars and sequoias.
February
The first camellias open.
March
Century-old camellias and the grove of wild camellias.
April
Azaleas, rhododendrons, Japanese irises and fragrant Choisya.
May
Azaleas and rhododendrons at their peak, jasmine and the first rosebuds.
June
Hydrangeas, magnolias, St John’s wort, roses and oleanders.
July
Hydrangeas, lotus flowers, impatiens at the entrance, oleanders.
August
Panicle hydrangeas, lotus flowers, St John’s wort and oleanders.
September
Panicle hydrangeas turn pink and the roses bloom again.
October
Chestnuts and ashes change colour, and the Choisya may bloom again.
November
The golden crowns of the ashes and low light on the lake.
December
The park in winter: evergreens, silence and open views.
Months with the main blooms
Botanical map of the park
Each number on the map marks a specimen: you’ll find the names in the key below. Tap the map to enlarge it.
From Asia
- 1Japanese cedar Cryptomeria japonicaJapan
- 4Hydrangeas Hydrangea macrophyllaJapan
- 7Camphor tree Cinnamomum camphoraEast Asia
- 12Giant bamboo Phyllostachys mitisChina and Japan
- 14Chinese windmill palm Trachycarpus fortuneiChina and Japan
- 16Panicle hydrangea Hydrangea paniculataJapan
- 17Hydrangeas HydrangeaJapan
- 20Century-old camellia Camellia japonicaChina and Japan
- 21Lotus flowers Nelumbo nuciferaAsia
- 22Plum yew CephalotaxusChina and Japan
- 27Azaleas RhododendronAsia
- 28Grove of wild camellias Camellia japonicaJapan
- 31Spindle tree EuonymusJapan
- 34Hydrangeas HydrangeaJapan
- 35Indian hawthorn Rhaphiolepis indicaSouthern China
From the Americas
- 3Incense cedar Calocedrus decurrensUnited States
- 5Sequoia SequoiaCalifornia
- 10Sequoia SequoiaCalifornia
- 11Sequoia SequoiaCalifornia
- 13Sequoia SequoiaCalifornia
- 18Southern magnolia Magnolia grandifloraUnited States
- 19Southern magnolia Magnolia grandifloraUnited States
- 24Arizona cypress Cupressus arizonicaArizona
- 29Incense cedar Calocedrus decurrensNorth America and Mexico
- 30Sequoia SequoiaCalifornia
- 36Incense cedar Calocedrus decurrensNorth America and Mexico
From Europe and the Mediterranean
- 2Oleander Nerium oleanderMediterranean and Asia
- 6Holm oak Quercus ilexMediterranean
- 8Wild rhododendron RhododendronScotland
- 9Scots pine Pinus sylvestrisNorthern Europe
- 15Holm oak Quercus ilexMediterranean
- 23Yew Taxus baccataEurope
- 25Ash FraxinusEurope
- 26Sweet chestnut Castanea sativaEurope
- 32Rose garden RosaEurope and Asia
- 33Holm oak Quercus ilexMediterranean
Questions about the park
When is the best time to see the park in bloom?
From March to May, camellias, azaleas, rhododendrons, Japanese irises and Choisya are in flower. June to September is the season for hydrangeas, magnolias, St John’s wort and lotus flowers. In autumn, chestnuts and ashes turn the park yellow and gold.
How old is the park?
The park has been part of the Dal Pozzo della Cisterna estate since 1827. Many of the largest trees, such as the sequoias, incense cedars, holm oaks and magnolias, have grown here for generations.
Where is the park?
In Belgirate, on the Piedmont shore of Lake Maggiore, between Stresa and Arona. The park surrounds the two houses of Relais Casali della Cisterna and overlooks the lake.
Stay in the park
Our rooms and suites look out over the greenery and Lake Maggiore.