This book, featuring a vast selection of illustrations by Massimo Listri, is dedicated to one of the most stunning private residences in the world. Palazzo Borromeo presents itself to its visitors as a precious treasure trove suspended over the water, an effect that is also heightened by the magnificently luxuriant Italian-style terraced garden. The 17th/18th-century building still houses most of the original furnishings, as well as a collection of art objects amongst which a painting gallery especially stands out, a richly adorned space whose walls are entirely covered with one hundred and thirty framed works: it is also the only private Baroque gallery that has remained intact in all of Piedmont and Lombardy. But perhaps what surprises the viewer the most here are the Grottoes located at water level. The six connecting rooms are clad in river pebbles, fragments of rock and marble, and stuccoes portraying aquatic elements like shells, fish, nymphs, and mermaids: an exuberant caprice, poised between a natural environment and an architectural artifice that is one-of-a-kind. The first part of the book focuses on the building’s history, which is intertwined with that of the Borromeo family, while the second part describes the residence in detail, especially the beautiful artwork, and the perfect harmony between the interior, the grounds and the lake.