Lake Maggiore (or Verbano) is a lake basin of northeastern Piedmont, which borders with Lombardy and Switzerland; it is the second largest among Italian lakes after Lake Garda.
Sheltered by the Alpine ring; it occupies a valley gully probably of tectonic origin; it extends for 65 KM. with a prevalently NNE-SSW direction from Magadino to Sesto Calende; its maximum width is of 4.5 Km. (between Cannero Riviera and Germignaga, excluding the Borromeo Gulf) and has a surface of 212.2 Kmq.