which had been abandoned for years and were sporadically covered with vegetation and the remains of an old convent. The couple renovated the convent and set themselves the task of transforming the Isola Grande into a park, thus laying the foundations of what is now home to many rare subtropical species, thanks to the special microclimate on the Brissago Islands. In 1897, the Baron left his wife, that’s when she decided to dedicate her life to botany and culture. Her home became a centre of cultural activity with visits from painters, sculptors, musicians and famous writers.
He was responsible for building the palace we can admire today, sacrificing the construction built by the baroness and the small church of San Pancrazio. He also added the Roman bath, the orangery and the dock. Thanks to his encouragement, a world that worshipped splendour and feasts evolved, bringing new people and life to the Brissago Islands in a way that was not unlike the patronage of the baroness. But if back then the atmosphere had been populated by those who produced art, until 1940, the islands were the realm of those who instead bought art: the new, wealthy Germans of the post-war period.
In 1949, the Canton of Ticino acquired 50% of the property, while the remaining 50% was split between the three municipalities of Ascona, Brissago and Ronco sopra Ascona, the Swiss League for the Defence of National Heritage (now Heimatschutz Svizzera) and that of the protection of nature (now ProNatura).
The following year, on 2 April 1950, the gates of the Brissago Islands Botanical Park were opened to the public for the first time.
Visit the Brissago Islands and dive for a few hours into this tropical paradise. Whether with the family to visit the Botanical Garden or spend a romantic weekend at the Hotel Villa Emden.
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