Lake Maggiore

Lago Maggiore Verbano Lake Maggiore
A view of Lake Maggiore including the Isola Bella gardens
Location	Lombardy and Piedmont, Italy; Canton Ticino, Switzerland
Coordinates	45°57′N 8°38′E / 45.95°N 8.633°E / 45.95; 8.633Coordinates: 45°57′N 8°38′E / 45.95°N 8.633°E / 45.95; 8.633
Primary  inflows	Ticino, Maggia, Toce, Tresa
Primary  outflows	Ticino
Catchment  area	6,599 km²
Basin  countries	Italy, Switzerland
Max. length	66 km
Max. width	10 km
Surface area	212.5 km²
Average depth	177.4 m
Max. depth	372 m
Water volume	37 km³
Residence time	4 years
Surface  elevation	193 m
Islands	Brissago Islands, Borromean Islands
Settlements	Locarno, Luino, Verbania, Arona (see list)

Lake Maggiore (in Italian: Lago Maggiore IPA: /'lago ma'ddʒjore/ or Verbano IPA: /ver'bano/, in Latin: Lacus Verbanus) is the most westerly of the three large prealpine lakes of Italy and the second largest after Lake Garda. It lies approximately at 45°57′N 8°38′E / 45.95°N 8.633°E / 45.95; 8.633.

Santa Caterina del Sasso in Leggiuno's city.

It has a surface area of about 213 km², a maximum length of 54 km and, at its widest, is 12 km. The lake basin has tectonic-glacial origins and its volume is 37 km³.

Its main tributaries are the Ticino, the Maggia, the Toce (by which it receives the outflow of Lake Orta) and the Tresa (which is the sole emissary of Lake Lugano). The rivers Verzasca, Giona, and Cannobino also flow into the lake. Its outlet is the Ticino which, in turn, joins the river Po just south-east of Pavia.

The lake’s jagged banks are surrounded by the Prealps of Piedmont and Lombardy. The western bank is in Piedmont (provinces of Novara and Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola) and the eastern in Lombardy (province of Varese), whereas the most northerly section extends thirteen kilometres into Switzerland, where it constitutes the lowest point above sea-level in that entire country.

The climate is mild in both summer and winter, producing Mediterranean vegetation, with beautiful gardens growing rare and exotic plants. Well-known gardens include those of the Isola Madre, Isola Bella and the Isole di Brissago, that of the Villa Taranto in Verbania, and the Alpinia botanical garden above Stresa.

Towns and villages on the lake

Islands

• Borromean Islands (three islands and two islets located between Verbania to the north and Stresa to the south)
  • Isola Bella
  • Isola Madre
  • Isola dei Pescatori (or Isola Superiore)
  • Isolino di San Giovanni (in front of Verbania)
  • Scoglio della Malghera (between Isola Bella and Isola Pescatori)
• Brissago Islands (close to Brissago)
  • San Pancrazio (or Grande Isola)
  • Isolino (or Isola Piccola or Isola di Sant’Apollinare)
• Castelli di Cannero (three small islands just off the shore from Cannero Riviera)
• Isolino Partegora (in the gulf of Angera)

Isola Bella

Sacro Monte di Ghiffa

Sacro Monte di Ghiffa

The Sacred Mountain of Ghiffa is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Ghiffa, (Piedmont, northern Italy), overlooking the Lake Maggiore. It is one of the nine Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, included in UNESCO World Heritage list.

Events

The Spirit of Woodstock Festival is an annual open air festival at the end of July/beginning of August at Mirapuri.

Historical events

Methane was first discovered and isolated by Alessandro Volta as he analysed marsh gas from Lake Maggiore, between 1776 and 1778.

References in literature

Lake Maggiore features in American writer Ernest Hemingway's novel A Farewell To Arms. The protagonist (Frederic Henry) and his lover (Catherine Barkley) are forced to cross the transnational border within the lake in a rowing boat to escape Italian Carabinieri.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lake Maggiore

Wikinews has related news: 'Monster' fish killed in Swiss lake after biting swimmers

• CIPAIS Commissione Internazionale per la Protezione delle Acque Italo-Svizzere (Italian) limnologic reports on the Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano
• Informations over the lake
• Official Tourism Gateway Lake Maggiore Official Tourism Gateway
• Ferry Services on Italian Lakes - Lake Maggiore
• Sacro Monte di Ghiffa (English)
• Magazzeno Storico Verbanese (Italian) Historical bibliography on the region
• Waterlevels at Brissago from the Federal Office for the Environment
• Waterlevels at Locarno from the Federal Office for the Environment
• Verbanofun Luino Webcam Meteo News

v • d • e Lake Maggiore (Lago Maggiore, Verbano) Italy   Lombardy (Province of Varese) · Piedmont (Province of Novara · Province of Verbano Cusio Ossola) Switzerland   Canton Ticino (Distretto di Locarno) Settlements Angera · Arona · Ascona · Baveno · Belgirate · Besozzo · Brebbia · Brezzo di Bedero · Brissago · Cannero Riviera · Cannobio · Castelletto sopra Ticino · Castelveccana · Caviano · Dormelletto · Germignaga · Gerra (Gambarogno) · Ghiffa · Ispra · Laveno-Mombello · Leggiuno · Lesa · Locarno · Luino · Maccagno · Magadino · Meina · Minusio · Monvalle · Muralto · Oggebbio · Piazzogna · Pino sulla Sponda del Lago Maggiore · Porto Valtravaglia · Ranco · Ronco sopra Ascona · San Nazzaro · Sant'Abbondio · Sesto Calende · Stresa · Tenero-Contra · Tronzano Lago Maggiore · Verbania · Vira Islands Isole Borromee (Isola Bella · Isola Madre · Isola dei Pescatori · Isolino di San Giovanni) · Isole di Brissago (Isola San Pancrazio · Isola Sant’Apollinare) · Castelli di Cannero · Isolino Partegora Rivers Boesio · Cannobino · Giona · Maggia · Margorabbia · San Bernardino · Stronetta · Ticino · Toce · Tresa · Verzasca Landmarks Giardino Botanico Alpinia · Sacro Monte di Ghiffa · Monte Verità · Villa Taranto Films La stanza del vescovo People Arialdo · House of Borromeo · Piero Chiara · Dario Fo · Peter Martyr d'Anghiera · Vittorio Sereni · Cristoforo Solari

v • d • e Major Lakes of Switzerland Lake Biel (Lac de Bienne, Bielersee) · Lake Brienz (Brienzersee) · Lake Constance (Bodensee) · Lake Geneva (Lac Léman, Lac de Genève) · Lake Hallwil (Hallwilersee) · Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee) · Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano, Ceresio) · Lake Maggiore (Lago Maggiore) · Lake Murten (Lac de Morat, Murtensee) · Lake Neuchâtel (Lac de Neuchâtel, Neuenburgersee) · Lake Sempach (Sempachersee) · Lake Thun (Thunersee) · Lake Walen (Walensee, Lake Walenstadt) · Lake Zug (Zugersee) · Lake Zurich (Zürichsee) · Sihlsee