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Lake Maggiore and Stresa in the footsteps of Ernest Emingway

You have probably heard of one of the most beautiful Italian lakes that is located between Italy and Switzerland. Lake Maggiore, this lake is famous for having attracted great Italian and foreign artists thanks to its indescribable beauty. The name “maggiore” (the biggest) was attributed to it for being the largest lake in the area. The small islands which occupy this lake are visited by tourists from all over the world with the famous lake maggiore tours.

As mentioned before, this lake has attracted many famous people, but in particular one town near to the lake. The name of this particular town is Stresa, located on the Italian side of Lake Maggiore.

This small city is a destination of many tourists and famous people. The popularity of Stresa is not something recently given but in the late 800s the city was chosen as a stop of the Grand Tour, where numerous intellectuals such as Lord Byron, Stendhal and Charles Dickens arrived. Years later the life of a famous American writer would change this small town, we are talking about the famous Ernest Hemingway.

Ernest Hemingway

During the First World War, the young american Ernest came to Italy as a volunteer for the American Red Cross, his role would be to drive the ambulance. Unfortunately due to serious leg injuries, he had to spend a lot of time in the hospital of Milan where he met the young nurse Agnes von Kurowsky. She was the writer’s inspiration for the character of Catherine Barkley in his romance “Farewell to Arms”.

While recovering from war wounds, Hemingway decided to spend time with a friend in Stresa. Specifically in one of the suites of the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees di Stresa. In this beautiful accommodation they spent one week visiting the islands of the lake, Stresa and Lake Maggiore Tours.

As a testament to his complete love for the city of Stresa, the writer wrote the romance “A Farewell to Arms”. It is a gift for the city of Stresa, in this book he describes in great detail the landscapes of Lake Maggiore and undoubtedly made us know the great memory of the artist by remembering names, places and characters with precision.

In this book, he deals with timeless themes such as death and love, tragedy and the beauty of life.

In October 1948, Hemingway returned to Italy to the same hotel that had hosted him 40 years earlier. His return to the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees, had as a particularity his signature in the signature book as “An old client”. Without a doubt, this famous writer was able to express his weakness for Italian lakes and hotels.

Today if you are in Stresa, do not hesitate to visit the famous room called “Ernest Hemingway”, the same one in which the famous Nobel Prize winner stayed.

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