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Five brothers, a fortress on the rocky islets off Cannero and a legend you experience first-hand on board.
Mazzarditi
The Mazzarditi on Lake Maggiore are among the most fascinating and wildest chapters of northern Italian history. Anyone gliding across the lake today and spotting the crumbling walls on the rocky islets off Cannero is looking at the remains of a rule that kept the whole western shore on edge for over a decade.
The Mazzarditi were a notorious gang of brothers in the 15th century – five brothers from Ronco, a hamlet of Cannobio, who exploited the power vacuum after the death of the Duke of Milan, Gian Galeazzo Visconti. From around 1403 they occupied the fortress Castello di Malpaga on the isolated rocky islets in the lake and made it their base. From there they controlled trade routes, levied forced tolls and terrorised the surroundings of the upper Lake Maggiore. The term "pirates" is no cliché from adventure novels here: the brothers terrorised merchants, seized cattle and building materials and forced the people of the surrounding villages into labour service.
The historical scenery is shaped by the border position between today's Lombardy and Piedmont, near Cannero Riviera. Power struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines, weak central authority and rival noble houses created the space in which the Mazzarditi used their rebellion against the existing order to their own advantage. The politics of the time allowed such regional power grabs – at least for a while.
Their story is deeply etched into the region's collective memory. To this day the legend inspires excursions, theatre performances and adventure tours – including our exit game "The Treasure of the Mazzarditi" on the Striga Constanze, where guests experience the pirate story playfully on the water.
Anyone interested in the Mazzarditi knows the problem: dry history boards on the shore, crowded promenades full of souvenir shops and anonymous mass cruises where a loudspeaker drones out dates. The historic area is not known as a tourist region in its own right – and that is exactly what makes it so appealing when you experience it properly.
Our approach is different. On the Striga Constanze, a traditional gaff cutter with red gaff sails, the Mazzarditi legend is told and experienced vividly – right in front of the original locations. Every tour is a private boat tour, exclusive to one group: up to 8 guests at a fixed price, up to 12 on request. No crowds, no strangers, no compulsory programme.
The ruins of the Castelli di Cannero stand on small rocky islets in Lake Maggiore and are often not directly accessible to visitors – but from the water they unfold their full effect. The Striga Constanze brings you so close that you can make out every moss-covered wall, every tower stump and every arrow slit. At the same time you get to know other locations: the coast of Cannero Riviera, the shore of Cannobio and – depending on tour length – Santa Caterina del Sasso or the Borromean Islands.
The focus is on relaxed discovery and playful immersion in the pirate story. No rushing from place to place, but sailing at your own pace.
Matching tours
Bestseller€490
Private tour
Proposal€490
Private tour
Beginners€490
+ €20 p. p.Private tourThis is what makes our tours different from anything else you'll find on the lake. Instead of channelling you through a rigid programme, we offer a space for real experiences – on the water, inside a story, at your pace.
Experience the Mazzarditi legend right in front of the original locations: Castelli di Cannero, the coast of Cannero and Cannobio, the places where the pirates once struck fear into people and robbed merchants.
Slowed-down sailing under 55.7 m² of red sail area, the sound of wind and water instead of engine noise. The Striga Constanze is a replica of a Northern European working boat built in 1979 at Baumgartner – wooden details and character instead of plastic. More about the boat.
Fixed prices from €490 for up to 8 people, up to 12 on request, ideal for families, groups of friends and teams. No boat full of strangers, no monitoring by a rigid timetable.
In the exit game "The Treasure of the Mazzarditi", Beppe the parrot leads you through a coherent story with puzzles, a treasure chest and souvenirs. There are legends of a sunken treasure of the Mazzarditi – and exactly this legend comes alive playfully.
3, 4 or 7 hours, with a swim stop, aperitivo or restaurant visit ashore as needed. You set the rhythm.
Season start 1 March 2027, non-binding enquiry with a reply usually within 24 hours, free rebooking in bad weather.
In 3 steps
The process is concrete, easy to plan and still leaves room for spontaneous wishes. Three steps from idea to boat:
The home port of the Striga Constanze is Laveno-Mombello. Lake Maggiore offers several landing places for boats – further departure points such as Brebbia, Feriolo, Cannero or Cannobio are possible by arrangement. A jetty with a landing place is available on Lake Maggiore, and there are also buoys for mooring boats, so flexible meeting points are no problem.
Contact is easy: by WhatsApp or phone (+39 333 3802 383), by email to info@striga-constanze.com or via the contact form on the website. Reservations for the 2027 season are already being accepted – especially for public holidays and high season it pays to enquire early.
Depending on tour length, various highlights can be combined. The Castelli di Cannero are at the centre of every Mazzarditi tour, plus – depending on duration and weather – the shore of Cannero Riviera, Santa Caterina del Sasso or the Borromean Islands.
Examples: a compact 3-hour tour focuses on the Castelli di Cannero and the nearby coast. A day tour of 7 hours combines several stops with swimming, aperitivo and a restaurant visit ashore. Restaurants in Cannero or Cannobio are easy to fit in on a shore visit. The route is adapted to wind and weather conditions; the skipper knows the lake and its moods.
On board the gaff cutter you are welcomed personally by the skipper. After a short safety briefing you're off – lines released, sails up.
During the trip the skipper tells the story of the Mazzarditi and points to the ruins of the Castelli di Cannero: the crumbling towers, the remains of the walls, the rocky islets on which the pirates once kept their fortress. The castles of Cannero were partly restored in the 16th century, when the Borromeo family built the Rocca Vitaliana on the old foundations from 1519 – impressive remains of that can still be seen today.
On exit-game tours Beppe the parrot comes into play: in his role as a cheeky narrator he leads through puzzles and clues until the group opens the treasure chest together. All explanations are possible in German; on request also in English or Italian.
Traditional gaff cutter, red sails, just your group. 3, 4 or 7 hours.
from €490
for up to 8 guests at a fixed price, up to 12 on request
The difference
Most providers on the lake concentrate on standard routes and large groups. We focus on depth of experience instead of passenger numbers:
Most viewed
Bestseller€490
Private tourBestseller€490
Private tour
Bestseller€490
Private tour
The Mazzarditi are no dusty footnote in a history book. Their story lives on in the region – in culture, tourism and collective memory.
In Cannobio, the play "C'era una volta la tempesta" was performed on 28 October 2023, directly referring to the Pirati Mazzarditi. In Cannero Riviera, local guided tours and information boards tell the history of the Castelli di Cannero. The Mazzarditi were driven out in 1414 by troops of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti – around 500 men under the command of Giovanni Lonati besieged and destroyed the fortress. But the brothers' rebellion has never let go of people's imagination.
Our exit game "The Treasure of the Mazzarditi" takes up this tradition playfully and extends it. The legend of the sunken treasure, the ghost ship in the mist, the petrified feet – all these tales flow into the puzzles guests solve on board. In doing so we clearly separate what is historically documented from what folk tradition added following the events.
What do guests take away? "Our children are still talking about the Mazzarditi treasure weeks later." We hear reactions like this regularly – and they show that history works when it is experienced rather than merely read.
Other providers
Striga Constanze
Mass experience
just your group
Engine noise
sound of wind and water
To-do-list holiday
holiday at your own pace
Not every tour suits every group. The Mazzarditi experiences on the Striga Constanze are deliberately designed so that different people find the right thing:
Pirate stories, treasure hunts and castle ruins make history tangible and exciting. Children become treasure hunters, parents enjoy the lake. More about the family outing.
Combinable with swimming, aperitivo and stops in picturesque places like Cannero or Stresa. Particularly popular with groups from Germany and Switzerland who want to experience the lake beyond the usual rules of mass tourism.
The Mazzarditi legend as a romantic setting for sunset tours or marriage proposals on the water.
The exit game "The Treasure of the Mazzarditi" as light team building: solving puzzles together, opening doors (figuratively) and cracking the treasure chest as a group.
The chance to link medieval power struggles, cannons and sieges, legends and today's cultural offerings such as theatre and guided tours.
All tours are private tours at a fixed price for the whole group, skipper included. No hidden costs, no per-person surcharges (except for the exit game).
Perfect for a first encounter with the pirate legend. Price: €490 fixed price for the whole private group (up to 8 guests; up to 12 on request). Contents: focus on the Castelli di Cannero and nearby coast, introduction to Mazzarditi history, photo stop in front of the ruins. Ideal for: families with smaller children, guests with a tight schedule or anyone who wants to gather maximum impressions in a minimum of 3 hours.
The most popular option for relaxed discovery. Price: €690 fixed price for the whole group (up to 8 guests; up to 12 on request). Contents: extended route (e.g. additionally Santa Caterina del Sasso or the Stresa shore), swim stop in a sheltered bay, aperitivo break on board. Ideal for: families and groups of friends who want to combine pirate mood with relaxation.
The full programme for anyone who wants to dive deep. Price: €990 fixed price for the whole group (up to 8 guests; up to 12 on request). Contents: flexible combination of Castelli di Cannero, Borromean Islands and hidden bays; longer swim stop, restaurant visit ashore possible. Optional: exit game "The Treasure of the Mazzarditi" over the entire day's route, with a €20 per person surcharge for game material and souvenirs. Ideal for: teams, larger families or groups who want to experience Lake Maggiore intensively and dive deep into the legend.
No-obligation enquiry, reply within 24 hours. Weekends in the 2027 season go fast.
The Mazzarditi are historically documented. There are sources documenting their origin in Ronco near Cannobio, the occupation of the predecessor fortress of the Castelli di Cannero (Malpaga) and their expulsion in 1414 by troops of Duke Filippo Maria Visconti. What belongs to folk tradition, on the other hand, are the stories of the sunken treasure, the ghost ship in the mist and the petrified feet. On board we clearly separate what is historically established from what the region's imagination has added over the centuries.
Next step
Pirate legend, historic castle ruins, a private sailing boat with red sails and an exclusive group exploring the lake at its own pace – that is the Mazzarditi tour on the Striga Constanze. Whether family holiday, birthday, stag or hen party or team outing: send us your preferred date and we'll plan the tour to suit your occasion.
Write to us via WhatsApp (+39 333 3802 383) or the contact form – non-binding, uncomplicated, with a reply usually within 24 hours.
No long-term commitment. No hidden costs. Just the lake, the history and your adventure.
Skipper of the Striga Constanze
Ciao! Questions about the route, departure harbour or date? Just message me – I reply personally.
