Villa L’Antica Colonia is located in Crabbia, a small village on the hills of the Lake Orta, a few minutes from Pettenasco. The structure is surrounded by a large green area and is an excellent starting point for interesting trips into nature and culture.
But the strongest point of the Villa L’Antica Colonia is the magnificent panorama that sweeps over much of the lake and the surrounding green mountains, reaching up to Orta and the Island of San Giulio, a real spectacular scenary!

Try to imagine your wedding party on the large terrace of the villa with fantastic view on the lake: an unforgettable event for you and your guests!

Built in the eighteenth century, the villa was for long time a church property. The large ground around the building, that in the beginning extended until the lake, was planted with vineyards and fruit trees and cultivated by the women of the village that were working for the clergyman. At the beginning of ’900 the villa was sold to a textile industry, which changed the property into a summer residence for the children of its employees, using part of the house for the breeding of the silk-worm in the winter season. It was later purchased by its actual owners, the family Manini-Maulini, who started the renovation of the property turning it into the beautiful villa we know today.

Villa L’Antica Colonia offers a unique and exclusive setting for your wedding: its prestigious balconies and arcades, between rustic and old, will give your wedding a scenario of the ancient times and a real magical atmosphere.

The old wine cellar of the villa is definitely worth a visit: excavated into the rock and kept unchanged for more than 3 centuries, offers a unique exposition of old wines from the most famous wine areas of Piedmont, from the Novara hills to the Monferrato and the Langhe .

If requested, Villa L’Antica Colonia offers also the opportunity to stay in the residence: the building is structured on 4 floors with 5 lovely apartments, all fully equipped and renovated with special care of details in different styles, that can accommodate up to 14 people.

Away from the crowded and noisy tourist centers, the villa offers peace and quietness to its guests: that’s why it is frequently rented by guests from abroad, who are looking for a pleasant holiday of total relax, granted also by the familiar management.

Villa L’Antica Colonia … much more than a “wedding with lake view”! 


If Isola Madre and Isola Bella are known for their great palaces and gardens and could be the perfect frame for your wedding pictures, Pescatori Island could be the best location for a perfect reception on the lake shores. This thanks to its wonderful position and rich gastronomic tradition.

Pescatori Island is the only one that is not part of Borromeo Family properties.
It is a liggle village with no more than 50 inhabitants. Fishing was the main occupation in the past some members of local families are still fishers.
You can see this heritage all over here starting from the little port where you will see many fishing boats.

It is such a peaceful place so you will meet many cats and frogs especially in July. Little nice frogs jump all over the narrow roads of the islands.
In this idyllic place there is a quite corner: a little garden with a terrace on the lake. You will read a big white sign with the name Belvedere on it.

Hotel Ristorante Belvedere is located on North East part of Pescatori Island far from busy port.
It has been managed from the same family for 4 generations. In 1921 restaurant hosted Charles De Gaulle who had lunch there during his honeymoon.

Today Belvedere Restaurant can host up to 200 guests inside the charming rooms and on its two gardens on the lake. Your reception to Hotel Ristorante Belvedere can be arranged on the open air by the lake shores, in the wide garden under the porch of booming flowers or inside the charming and bright veranda. You could also choose the lovely dining room once called La Grotta (the cave) because walls were all in stones.
The venue has been just refurbished but still preserves the charm of the ancient appeal. From all corners, including the dining room you could see Isola Madre and its great botanic park.

Belvedere Restaurant mainly serves fish dishes hand made prepared combining precious ingredients of Lake Maggiore and close valleys. Cheese lovers will taste Toma of Ossola valley and natural Gorgonzola. While wine lovers could choose among great Piemonte wines such as Barolo, Dolcetto, Barbaresco or pick great local wines of Novara valley.

During the day Pescatori Island could be reached with ferry lines of Navigation of Lake Maggiore or with a motorboat of taxi boat services.
For your dinner reception the restaurant will offer a free boat shuttle from Isola dei Pescatori to Stresa and vice versa.
This way you and your guests could be free to decide how and when leaving the Isle.

Bride and groom will have the possibility to have for them a traditional boat: a great opportunity to remember magic moments!

Valentina Lombardi is the Italian Lakes Wedding coordinator for Lake Orta and Lake Maggiore area. She follows Italian and foreign bridegrooms who wish to celebrate their wedding in Piemonte and Italian Lakes area.
Valentina is Italian; she has worked in event organization business for years before becoming a wedding planner.

For more information about weddings on Pescatori Island – Lake Maggiore, please contact us.

All images © Italian Lakes Wedding and:
Photo 1: Italian Lakes Wedding
Photo 2: Giorgio Gnemmi – Studio ArteFoto, Omegna
Photo 3, 4 and 5: Hotel Ristorante Belvedere, Isola dei Pescatori – lake Maggiore
Photo 6: Enrico Mocci – ArteFotoArona, Arona – lake Maggiore
Photo 7, Piero Gatti – Foto Smile, Baveno – lake Maggiore