The patron of Stresa is Saint Ambrose, celebrated on 7 December, and the parish church is dedicated to him together with Saint Theodulus.
It is a winter date, when the lake has closed its season and both the boats to the Borromean Islands and the Settimane Musicali are far off — the classical music festival Stresa owes to an idea formed here in the autumn of 1961 by Italo Trentinaglia.