Maggiore, Lago

Maggiore, Lago (lä`gō mäd-jô`rā), or Verbano (vārbä`nō), second largest lake in Italy, 82 sq mi (212 sq km), in the Alpine foothills of Piedmont and Lombardy. The lake is c.40 mi (65 km) long and has a maximum depth of c.1,220 ft (370 m). It is formed by the Ticino River and lies partly in Switzerland. Along part of its western shore run the Simplon Road (built by Napoleon) and railroad. The lake is dotted with villas and resorts, notably at Stresa, Baveno, Pallanza, Intra, and (on the Swiss side) Locarno. On Isola Bella, one of the four Borromean Islands near Stresa, is the Borromeo palace (17th cent.; now a museum) with beautiful gardens.