Former seaplane base
By 1920 this became a big business on Lago Maggiore. Several air companies had formed and incorporated themselves in Stresa. One pilot, Fedele Azari, of Verbania, organized flights for tourists using dirigibles. These were posh affairs, with orchestras and restaurant service on board. Another company, la Societa' Incremento Turiso Aereo, chartered flights from Stresa to Varese and back during the summer months of each year. Three times each week they made the trip with a Macchi M24 seaplane, holding six passengers for each flight and one pilot. The round trip ticket price was 100 lira.
Eventually, a seaplane base, an idroscalo, was established at what is now the location of L'idrovolante Ristorante and Internet Cafe. Nearby, there was a hangar, for the protection, maintenance, and repair of planes. And the business became a bit competitive, with newer, even more exciting attractions. By the 1930s it was possible for brave souls to ride an amphibious glider from the summit of Mt. Mottorone, gliding down for a landing in the water opposite L'idro. Over the years, other little bits of history were made here at the idroscalo.
Mussolini landed here in his three-engined Savoia Marchetti S.66 seaplane to attend the Stresa Front conference in 1935. And in 1938, a taste of Hollywood, when Italian director Alessandrini shot some scenes for his film "Luciano Serra Pilota" using the hangar and idroscalo.
Almost one hundred years have passed since that first flight in 1912. Much has changed of course. Planes no longer land here and the hangar is gone. But in its place is the loading station of the Mottarone cableway. And perched at the water's edge where seaplanes once stopped is now a restaurant, bar, and Internet Cafe. One thing hasn't changed however, the view which is as spectacular as ever.
Source: Dana Kaplan, Stresa Sights, https://stresasights.blogspot.com/2009/10/lidrovolante-ristorante-and-internet.html