Villa Canelli in Belgirate, Lake Maggiore

Belgirate is located about 8 km south of Stresa and, like Stresa, is also a villa resort on Lake Maggiore. In contrast to Stresa, it is less crowded, but no less worth seeing. In the town there is a fashionable lakeside promenade dominated by a large toad. It stands for the former nickname "Rospo" (toad) used to refer to the inhabitants, the Belgiratesi.

Several historic villas of the 18th and 19th centuries attest to its former importance as an aristocratic meeting place. Goethe, Richard Wagner, and Stendhal, whose work The Charterhouse of Parma famously delighted Goethe, were among the early prominent guests in Belgirate.

At the southern entrance to the town stands Villa Conelli, a U-shaped building from the second half of the 19th century with a prominent turret. The renovation of this graceful property with an Italian garden was recently completed (2022). Since the villa is now used as a residence, it cannot be visited. The park directly adjacent to the villa is open to the public and, with its changing open-air art exhibitions, is an important cultural stage for the community.

Other villas in Belgirate are, for example, Villa Claudia dal Pozzo or Casali della Cisterna (both hotels with an upscale standard).