Mottarone is the name of the hill-mountain that divides the Lake Maggiore from Lago d'Orta. Administratively it belongs to the provinces of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Novara, even if the summit at its true, albeit for a few hundred meters, is located in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, in the municipality of Stresa.
Although with its 1492 m, it is among the least of the lowest peaks of Alps, overlooking a spectacular panorama. From its rounded summit, easily recognizable even from a distance, even for the presence of different repeat installations of radio-television signals, you can enjoy a spectacular view of 7 lakes. Besides the two large lakes that divide, Orta and Maggiore, in good weather you can even see the nearby lake of Mergozzo, in addition to the Varese's lakes (Varese, Monate, Comabbio and Biandronno) visible behind the long, narrow tongue of low Lake Maggiore. Also notable is the frames of the mountains in front of her, from the Maritime Alps to Monte Rosa.
On days when the sky is clear, it is easy to see the peak of Mount Viso, from which rises the river Po, and clearly recognizable by its triangular peak.
Probably Mottarone owes its name to an evolution from his dialect name "Mota Rond" Or Round Mountain. For his riding position between two lakes, Orta and Maggiore, is often nicknamed as" The Mountain of the two lakes "or even as" The Mountain of the Milaneses "being historically been much visited by tourists from Milan, especially between the nineteenth and early twentieth century).
Once the entire eastern side of the mountain was owned by the family Borromeo, the influential family that until recently was still the owner of two of the three islands which it named: the Islands Borromean. Besides being dedicated to one of its most distinguished members, Carlo Borromeo, the San Carlone, the imposing statue rising over Arona.
To launch the Mottarone from the tourist pount of view was a Valsesian lawyer: Orazio Spanna, also known as the "father" of Mottarone. First he identified a precise and definitive name: he baptized Mottarone, from "meut rond". Before that, in fact, there were a number of misunderstandings in what was called indiscriminately Monterone, Mergozzolo, Margozzolo. It was the same lawyer to promote the construction of a hotel on the summit of the mountain. Thus was born in 1884, the Grand Hotel Mottarone. Among the most famous guests include: Emanuele Filiberto, Vittorio Emanuele, Luigi Amedeo, Tommaso Alberto Vittorio, Isabella of Bavaria, Margherita of Savoia and Maria Elisabetta.
Until 1911 to get to the top of Mottarone was not as simple, as being accessible from Stresa only on foot, using the old mule track. For this reason in 1911 he was inaugurated the railway gear rack electric drive (the first in Italy), which was replaced in 1970 by a more modern cable car, today linking with Stresa in about twenty minutes.
In the small Alpine resort, which rises on the slopes of Mottarone at about 800 meters above sea level, lies the Botanical Garden Alpinia. Established in 1934, during the Fascist period, with the name of Duxia. This natural balcony, overlooking the Borromeo Gulf of Lake Maggiore, since the middle of the nineteenth century became a tourist destination for many European aristocrats and artists. The garden with its 40,000 m² is a place of considerable natural interest for its extensive and varied collection of botanical species: are more than 1000 species of plants. Some plant species are alpine and subalpine origin; others, however, come from the Caucasus, China, Japan and America.
The Mottarone well as being very popular with enthusiasts skiing, though no longer as before, due to the strong competition of the Ossola ski resorts, it has always been very popular with lovers cycling. On four occasions the Tour of Italy has passed from here, and especially the stage in 2001, dominated and won by Gilberto Simoni, remains an unforgettable memory for all those who like this sport.
