I took this photograph one morning outside the La Palma Hotel in Stresa, Italy, which is on the shores of Lago Maggiore. It was a bit off season, the deck umbrellas all set down and reflecting in the infinity pool. In the background, at the top of the image, you can see a sliver of the gardens of the Isola Bella, where sits enthroned the late-Renaissance palace of the Borromeo family, one of the richest and most powerful noble families of Italy for the past half-century. In the next couple of postings, see some artifacts from the palace’s collection.