Villa Pallavicino, 19th-century neoclassical villa and zoological park in Stresa, Italy
Villa Pallavicino is a 19th-century residence with extensive gardens and animal areas set along Lake Maggiore shores. The grounds span 18 hectares and combine classical architecture with carefully designed planted areas where over 50 animal species now reside.
The estate originated in 1855 and took its current form when the Pallavicino family acquired and expanded it in 1862. The family transformed it into a place where building and nature interact.
The gardens display Italian design traditions with ancient cedars, exotic trees, and rose beds that bloom in May. The landscape functions as a living space where visitors move through cultivated plantings that reflect both formal European taste and botanical diversity.
The park features a designated farm area where llamas, Tibetan goats, and fallow deer allow direct contact with visitors. The grounds are easy to walk through, with clear paths that move through the gardens and animal zones.
Many of the animals here were rescued by forest rangers from situations where they could not return to the wild. This makes the location a refuge for creatures that fit nowhere else.
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