Verbania
Description
Verbania listen (Lombard: Verbania, Piedmontese: Verbania) is the most populous comune (municipality) and the capital city of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It is situated on the shore of Lake Maggiore, about 91 km (57 mi) north-west of Milan and about 40 km (25 mi) from Locarno in Switzerland. It had a population of 31,121 at 30 April 2009.
Overview
It faces the city of Stresa lying at a direct distance of 3.7 km (2 mi) across Lake Maggiore, and 16 km (10 mi) by road. The present-day Verbania was created by the 1939 merger of the cities of Intra, Pallanza and Suna, and other frazioni. Since 1992 it has been the capital of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. A small islet lying a stone's throw from the shores of the Pallanza frazione and separated from it by a narrow stretch of water just 10 or 15 metres' wide, known as the Isolino di San Giovanni, is famous for having been the home of Arturo Toscanini between the years of 1927 and 1952.
Main sights
Giardini Botanici Villa Taranto is an estate with fine botanical gardens.
Transport
Verbania-Pallanza railway station, opened in 1905, forms part of the Milan–Domodossola railway. It is in the Fondotoce district, between Lake Mergozzo and the river Toce, just upstream from where the Toce flows into Lake Maggiore.
