The Garda Thermal Park

The Garda Thermal Park extends over an area of ����13 hectares, surrounded by rare plants and centennial trees, with thermal lakes, swimming pools, whirlpools and fountains. The hot thermal water comes from two layers at a depth of 200 and 160 meters. Inside the Thermal Park there is a luxury hotel, Villa dei Cedri, which is an 18th century villa with elegant rooms equipped with a Jacuzzi with thermal water. There is also a large Wellness Center that offers numerous experiences. In addition, the Sports Center, including a semi-covered thermal pool and gym, in which are offered Medical Fitness services with motor programs for all needs as well as numerous dedicated treatments.

Source: Garda Thermal Park, translation by Chiara

Battle monumental Tower of St.Martino

The Tower

The historical Tower was built in memory of King Vittorio Emanuele II and those, who fought for the italian unification. At the entrance to the tower, whose height is of 64 meters, there are the statues of the protagonists of the italian unification, while the frescoes along the ramp depicteded the episodes of the Renaissance. The tower rises on the highest hill of San Martino, where was fought the bloodiest phase of the battle of San Martino (II war of independence). From its terrace you can enjoy a wide view.

The Ossuary

The ossuary, housed in the noble chapel of the Treccani earls, collects 1,274 skulls and bones of 2,619 soldiers, who fought in the battle of San Martino, during the second Battle of Indipendence.
On the access road to the chapel there are some memorial stones of the units that took part in the clashes.

The Museum

The museum, a branch office of the Renaissant Museum in Solferino, is dedicated to the Renaissance, with particular focus on the finds related to the battle of Solferino and San Martino. The museum displays weapons, memorabilia, documents and items commonly used by soldiers.

Source: Tarsì, translation by Chiara

Castèl Lemon Grove

The white pilasters and walls of the lemon houses, unique in their kind, still stand out today along the lake and represent real lemon gardens. Today, the lemon houses, witnesses of a thriving past of lemons, are located between Gargnano and Limone. The Municipal Administration, with the aim of enhancing this heritage, bought the Limonaia del Castèl in 1995, restored it, put it back into use and opened it to the public in 2004. The restructuring have seen the planting of over than hundred citrus fruits, the restructuring of terraces, the irrigation system, the arrangement of tool sheds, which later became stimulating educational paths.

Source: Municipality of Limone, translation by Chiara

Oliosi e Camalavicina (Church and Monuments)

Church of Santa Maria Assunta

The church of Saint Mary in Oliosi was built in XVIII century as a Camuzzini Family's chapel. Its hut shaped façade faces west, the bell tower is attached to southern walls of presbytery. Saint Andrew's parish Church The earliest written testimonies of Saint Andrew's church (this is where the village's name comes from Sandrà) are included in scrolls from 843 and 856. Nevertheless it may be speculated that the church had existed at least since VIII century and it was built on rests of a previous one from roman age. Some of roman and Longobardic gravestones' remains are set into outside southern wall. During the XII century the Medieval church was reconstructed in Romanesque forms, while the present neoclassical church was rebuilt between 1753 and 1770 and it shields an altarpiece of Saint Andrew's martyrdom.

Benati House

On June 24th 1866, same day as famous Custoza battle, "Forlì" brigade heading to Castelnuovo was attacked by Austrian cavalry. A group of soldiers occupted the house of Benati family in Oliosi, fighting and resisting until the Austrians put the house on fire. Before they surrendered the "Forlì" brigade soldiers tore the flag in stripes and each of them hid one under their uniforms and guarded it till the end of their being held prisoners. 11 out of probable 13 stripes were retrieved and the flag at the moment is kept at national Musem of Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, on June 2nd, 2011 , the flag has opened the "Parade", during the annual Republic Day at Fori Imperiali.

Cippo di Monte Crisol 

Among many monuments of Italian Risorgimento that you can nd in Castelnuovo there is the Memorial Stone of Monte Cricol. This 3 meters high monument inaugurated in 1867 was created in memory of Rey di Villarey, general of Pisa brigade.

Villa Bagolini (Valcerea)

Villa Bagolini, along the way from Castelnuovo to Mantua, close to Mongabia and Oliosi, is characterized by a majestic dove tower. This villa is a complex of buildings from various periods: western part is the oldest, while the central building is neoclassical. It has been in the present state since XIX century. A typical bread oven is preserved in the park surrounding.

Source: Municipality of Castelnuovo del Garda

Desenzano Lakeside (beaches,Harbor,Squares and his monuments)

The historical centre originates in the 1500’s with interventions by the architect Giulio Todeschini. In the centre of the arcades is located the Venetian  Provveditor building, meanwhile in the square in 1782 was erected the monument dedicated to the patron S Angela Merici. The monumental complex in Malvezzi square, is formated by the perimeter of the arcades  by the municipal building, by the Provveditor building and by the east facade of the basilica. The square, of Venetian influence, was determined in XV century when the economy of Desenzano grew up.
The realization of the first building overlooking the lake was assigned to the architect Giulio Todeschini.

Source: Municipality of Desenzano

Malvezzi square

The monumental complex in Malvezzi square, is formated by the perimeter of the arcades  by the municipal building, by the Provveditor building and by the east facade of the basilica. The square, of Venetian influence, was determined in XV century when the economy of Desenzano grew up. The realization of the first building overlooking the lake was assigned to the architect Giulio Todeschini.

Cappelletti Square

In Cappelletti square there is the monument of the Resistance of Mario Gatti. This bronze group called "Martyrs" symbolizes those who have been sacrificed for the ideal of freedom and how many lives have fled to liberate Italy and its dignity as a democratic country.

Matteotti Square

In the gardens of piazza Matteotti there is a monument to the Department High Speed so many drivers sacrificed themselves between 1927 and 1936. The sculpture, designed by Aurelio Dough-Boy and Carlo Alberto Bordogna, it is divided into part sculpture, monolithic block and pedestal and symbolizes : the "pure speed" tends towards the infinite space and represented by the woman with the lost look in the lake; the "bond of the earth" symbol of the Earth's gravity punctuated by the element sculptural bronze and polished granite block to indicate the technical perfection; slabs "labradorite" of Sweden with his blue tones want to imitate the colors of the Benaco waters. Camilla Remondina card

Monument of High Speed

In the gardens of piazza Matteotti there is a monument to the Department High Speed so many drivers sacrificed themselves between 1927 and 1936. The sculpture, designed by Aurelio Dough-Boy and Carlo Alberto Bordogna, it is divided into part sculpture, monolithic block and pedestal and symbolizes : the "pure speed" tends towards the infinite space and represented by the woman with the lost look in the lake; the "bond of the earth" symbol of the Earth's gravity punctuated by the element sculptural bronze and polished granite block to indicate the technical perfection; slabs "labradorite" of Sweden with his blue tones want to imitate the colors of the Benaco waters. Camilla Remondina card

Contribution of students to the Santa Giulia Academy of Brescia

Monument to General Achilles Pope

In C. Battisti's lakeside gardens is preserved the monument of Gian Carlo Moroni (known as D'Annunzio's architect for Vittoriale), dedicated to General Achille Pope, who fell during the First World War on the Bainsizza Front on October 5, 1917 .

Monument to the fallen of all wars

Facing the Monument to General Achilles Pope, a monument to the fallen of all wars, Arnaldo Pomodoro's modern work, stands out with the representation of a triangular work representing humanity separated by a fracture but pointing upward.

Great War Cannon

Behind the marble monument devoted to General Achilles Pope a cannon of the Great War restored in 2014. A plate reads: "It was struck by an enemy stroke for twenty years, mute the tomb of the Prode. Risen to the pitiful hand and new life now singing to Benaco the noble gestures of such a Hero. "

The lighthouse and Harbor

Over the years, the Harbour of Desenzano had been subject of restructuring and consolidating works which led to the building of a turret with lighthouse and a part of a dam. In olden times, the light was generated with some petrol lanterns, while the lighthouse worked with a petrol dioptric device which run until 1903. At a later time the electric lightning, which had already been introduced in the houses of Desenzano in 1899, was adopted.

Source: Municipality of Desenzano

Todeschini Palace and old harbour

The arches of Palazzo Todeschini overlook along the ancient dock, building designed by the architect Giulio Todeschini, such as town hall. Laid on the last column, is the “Unemployed” stone, where the cries and people doomed to failure went. The building had pillars for 15 stone arches, which protruded to accentuate the Renaissance monumental nature. Although, the building remained unfinished until 1797 when the North part was built and Desenzano began the Benaco region’s State Capital. Besides the monumental staircase, the palace does not have many points of cultural interest: a doubt attribution Deposition and two landscape paintings are kept inside it.

Source: Municipality of Desenzano

Venezian Bridge 

The Venetian – style bridge, which is situated over the marina’s access, was built in this our Century, during the 1930s and from here you can have a double wonderful view: in the North above the lake and in the South above the Old Harbour begins and it ends in Desenzanino.

Cathedral of St Mary Magdalene and churches

Cathedral

The works for building the church started in 1586, following the project made by Giulio Todeschini, and they finished with its consacration in 1611. The Cathedral’s foundation were on the ruins of the previous one, and of this now we can only see: the bell tower, three altarpieces and the wooden statue of the saint. The façade shows baroque decorations, and inside, a basilica with three naves, characterized by the poorness but at the same time stateliness of the 12 columns made of Botticino’s marble. Inside there are the important works by Andrea Celesti, representative of the 600’s painting of the Veneto, among one big “Resurrezione” and a painting cycle dedicated to Santa Maria Maddalena. During the century the major chapels were opened: S. Angela Merici and Ss.mo Sacramento.

Source: Comune di Desenzano

http://comune.desenzano.brescia.it/italian/duomo.php?iExpand1=50

Church of the crucifix

At first it was called “Church of the Immacolata Concezione”. Works started in 1575 and ended in 1593. The cross’s name is because during the processions the Confraternity was preceeded by a wooden cross and at the end it was hung again on a wall of the church. But the followers started to adore that cross, because they gave it the power to intermediate with God for obtaining miracles. Inside there is also a beautiful pipe organ from 1695 made by Carlo Prati and a citizen of Desenzano, Bonatti.

Desenzanino beach

It is located opposite Villa Rosa Hotel. Beach entrusted to two operators for rental of sun loungers and pedal boats. Bar. Toilet. Small free beach area.

Feltrinelli beach

It is opposite the Riviera Hotel. Rental of sun loungers, pedal boats, canoes. No toilet facilities.

Desenzano Center (Castle, Museums and Parks)

The Castle

The Castle dominates the city of Desenzano and it is a fortified construction which was in origin a Roman Castrum. Built in the Middle Ages, in the XI Century, with 4 angular towers, it was considered strategic for the defence and from the Military point of view. Inside it there were some houses and St. Ambrogio Church. At the end of the XIX Century it began state property and it has been transformed into a barrack and it hosted a military post where alpini and bersaglieri found place.
In 1969 the Comune began the owner of the Castle and it restructured the building organising exhibitions and conferences inside its halls. Nowadays we can visit the walls, the four towers, the front donjon and the drawbridge which are the only parts arrived at us.

Source: Municipality of Desenzano

Garibaldi square

It’s the old Desenzano’s square situated in the high part. Easy to reach for those who go to the castle. Characteristic for its circular square with a big fountain in the center. All around trees and on the sides two representatives sculptures dedicated to the alpine huts by Antonio Tomasi (1996) and to the Carabiniere by Lino Agnini (2000).

Archaeological Museum Giovanni Rambotti

The archaeological museum Giovanni Rambotti is located at the former monastery of S.Maria del Carmine, which collects inside the palafittic objects found in the area around lake Garda and dating back to the Bronze Age.
The museum is dedicated to Giovanni Rambotti, first mayor of the municipality and among the first to be interested in archaeological excavations of the basin of the Polada.
Since 2011, this area has been included in the list of sites of the Alps archipelago protected by UNESCO as a heritage of humanity. The museum also houses the oldest plow of the world preserved in a state that is intact.

Source: Municipality of Desenzano

The Roman Villa

The Roman villa built at the end of the 1st century BC, came to light in 1921 after work to build the foundations of a house.
It has known more building phases: what is now visible, however, dates back to the first half of the 4th century. A.D. and it is the most important testimony in the northern Italy of the great ancient villas. The excavations over the years have found an area of about 250sqm with mosaic polychromes of exquisite workmanship.
Today it has a subdivision in 3 sectors. It is possible that the owner was Flavius Magnus Decentius, brother of Emperor Magnenzio, from which the name of the city of Desenzano. Next, a fourth space was built: the Antiquarium, the Villa Museum, which houses the materials found in excavations.

Source: Municipality of Desenzano

In December 1971 a fourth space of the villa was inaugurated: the Antiquarium.  It is an exhibition room at the entrance of the archaeological area that serves as a museum. In his room there are: coins, paintings, statues and all objects from the excavations of the villa.

Air Force Park

The Park of idroscalo connects the pedestrian path to Lake Desenzano-Rivoltella with double entrance. The new "Idroscalo Park" extends over a large area, roughly corresponding to the green area of the Golden Beach. The park, with dirt paths, is lit with street lamps and there are benches and tables. There is also a rich series of centennial tall trees.

"Laghetto park"

Desenzano's "Laghetto Park" is next to Michelangelo's communal swimming pools, and is the perfect place to spend a day full of fun and in contact with nature. You can take picnics, walk around, but there are also many beautiful little streets for cycling. At the same time it is well-equipped for sports: there are skate parks, skating rinks, two basketball courts, a football field at 11, a  football pitch at 5, a playground for children, an area equipped for animals and a bar.

Rivoltella (Beaches, harbor, Squares and monuments)

Brunati villa

Built in the end of the XVI Century by mons. Giacomo Rovescio such as holiday resort on the Medieval prior rural building. A plaque and some frescoes give testimony that in 1859, after the Solferino and S.Martino Battle, it hosted King Vittorio Emanuele II and his Staff / High Command. Bought in 1868 by Brunati family, it was renovated and frescoes from 1878 to 1886 by the architect Antonio Tagliaferri (from Brescia). Nowadays it is the public Library’s location, while the park near the lake ventures out a beach.

Source: Municipality of Desenzano

Church of St. Biagio and S. Giuseppe

church dedicated to Saint Biagio

The church dedicated to Saint Biagio is dated at the beginning of ‘400 and it’s located at the top of Rivoltella’s harbor. In the 18th century the main entrance was replaced, in its function of entry, by the doorway on the right side. Inside, the church has a lot of frescoes and among them we mention the ones that show Saint Biagio with angels, his martyrdom and the healing of a young man. The church has only one nave with one barrel vault and the decorations are from 19th century. In the sacristy there are a lot of frescoes from the 18th century by an unknown author. Movingly is the fresco that shows the transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor.

Source: Municipality of Desenzano

Monument War

in front of the San Biagio church in Rivoltella before the slope towards the harbor this opera is located as a memory for the fallen in all the wars that belonged to the former town hall of Rivoltella. It was assemblied at different times.

Church of St. Joseph

The Church of St. Giuseppe is located in the pedestrian center of Revolver. It dates back to the eighteenth century and was owned by the Brotherhood of St. Joseph. L 'wooden altar carved and gilded baroque has two side panels respectively rafiguranti Santa Cecilia and St. Catherine. E 'instead of by Andrea Bertanza, artist from Padenghe (1572-1630) and a pupil of Palma il Giovane, the painting representing the Holy Family, the Madonna, S. Joseph, Baby Jesus and the Saints Fermo and Rustico Verona, patron of farmers.

Golden Beach

Rental of sun loungers, rafts and water polo, pedalo and canoe, children's playground, bar - toilet, showers (also hot for a fee). Green Area for Parties, Small Dog Access.

Oasis canneto"San Francesco"

The Natural Monument of the humid area “San Francesco” it’s an area protected by about 10 hectares, estabilished by Lombardy region with D.g.r 1/10/2008 n 8/8136 with the purpose to protect a land of high natural value and landscape value. The natural monument is partially visible to the public, the other part isn’t visible to better preserve the natural integrity. The open area is equipped for environmental fruition and disclosure. A didactic classroom with information billboards was set up, and an observation deck, reachable by a wooden walkway. It is the avifauna to give great importance to this environment: 80 are the species of birds that have been observed here and half of them rest here to nest. Among the others, it’s worth remembering the presence of the “garzetta”, of the whip and of the damp in addition to the royal jelly, the cloves and the royal swan.

Fonte: http://www.oasisanfrancescodelgarda.it/

Rivoltella beach & harbor

Rivoltella beach can also be reached by boat mooring in the nearby harbor. From Porto starts a pleasant walk to Sirmione. The beach is gravel and is equipped.

Sunbeds
Bar
Boat rental
appetizers
Night party
disc
Free dogs
wc

Villa Arrighi (La Tassinara)

Built at the end of the XVIII Century, by a Tuscan noble Giovanni Pietro Arrighi, on the lakeside between Desenzano and Sirmione and situated in a centuries-old park which is four hectares wide.
The villa is at the end of the long driveway and the austere elegance of its principal front references to the noble Venetian villas.
Bought in 1914 by the Baron Alessandro Monti, the villa went through a series of retrofitting works, included the superelevation of a floor, without compromising its architecture.
After that, the villa became property of Giuseppe Tassinari, the Honorable Member, Minister of the Agriculture during the Fascism.
In the last years of the Second World War, Villa Arrighi had been the residence of the General Graziani, the Defence of the Italian Social Republic Minister.
Nowadays the villa is a location used for temporary exhibitions, entertainments, conferences and working meetings.

Gardone Center (Vittoriale and upper part)

Borgo Alto (Gardone)

The upper part of Gardone is characterized by alleys and narrow streets that start from the municipality leading to the Vittoriale degli iTaliani. There are some bars and restaurants with a panoramic view of Lake Garda.

Source: Tarsì

Church of San Nicolò (Gardone)

Built on a pre-existing building dating back to 1391, the church is the work of the Lonatese architect Paolo Soratini. Completed in 1740, he preserves two paintings (Pietà e Pentecoste) by Zenon Veronese (1484-1553), a painting by Plama il Giovane (1570-1596) with the Madonna Gesù, S.Michele S.Nicolò and S.Antonio Abate, a canvas by Andrea Celesti (1637-1712) with S.Nicolò, S.Antonio Abate and SS. Faustino and Giovita, frescoes by Francesco Monti (1683-1768) including "the Assumption of Mary" (1750 ca) the fourteen paintings of the Via Crucis by Augusto Lozzia. An object of particular devotion is the image of the Madonna di Fraole (at the first altar on the left) in honor of which a large celebration is celebrated with a procession at the beginning of October. The apse facing Lake Garda, is surrounded by a characteristic balcony that allows a broad horizon over the middle lake from Punta S.Vigilio toPeschiera del Garda, Sirmione, the Rocca di Manerba and the Isola del Garda.

Source: Comunità Montana Parco Alto Garda Bresciano

The shrine of Italian victories

In the early 1900s, Gabriele d'Annunzio bought and transformed, with the help of architect Gian Carlo Maroni, the farmhouse of the historic German Henry Thode in what is today Prioria, immersed in the suggestive park, winner of the prize "Park plus Beautiful Italy "in 2012, overlooking the lake that the same poet calls Vittoriale degli Italiani.
Vittoriale is therefore a treasure chest and a place of memory, the most obvious testimony of the inimitable lifestyle of the Abruzzo poet and his work; Represents a commemorative shrine of the victorious gesture of the Italian people.
The Vittoriale degli Italiani Foundation, since 1937, devotes itself daily to the protection and valorisation of the wonders that this monument preserves within it.
2016 ended with 233,402 visitors, up 9.7% over the previous year, a result that the President of the Foundation, Giordano Bruno Guerri, wants to further increase in 2017.

Source: GardaMusei

Divino infante Museum

The Museum of Divine Infante was born in Gardone Riviera in 2005 at the wish of Mrs. Hiky Mayr, a collector of German origin who for thirty-five years dedicated to the research, collection and restoration of sculptures depicting the Child Jesus. It is the only museum in the world With the largest and most extensive existing thematic collection.The collection boasts more than two hundred and fifty sculptures of four centuries and documents through exhibited artefacts, techniques, uses, iconography related to the theme of sculpture featuring "Jesus Child" and in Some cases "Maria Bambina". There is also an exceptional "Neapolitan Presbytery" in the Museum with more than one hundred and twenty figures and numerous animals and furnishings, expertly placed in a space that allows the visitor to enter the scene.

Source: GardaMusei

Botanical Garden Foundation André Heller

A floral collection with a continental character, in which Africa and South America, Asia, Europe and Australia are interwoven in each other. Edelweiss in the middle of the orchids, ferns a meter high next to wonderful pomegranates. Streams and waterfalls, ponds with koi carp, trout and reflex images of dragonfly flight, dolomitic stone hills next to cactuses and towers covered with ivy. Indian and Moroccan sculptures in harmony with installations by Roy Lichtenstein, Susanne Schmögner, Mimmo Paladino and Keith Haring. Of this paradise, which never ceases to amaze me and fill me with joy, I have been part since 1988. The dentist of the last tsar, dr. Arthuro Hruska, was the founder of this fortune, which also houses a Venetian villa

Source: Comunità Montana Parco Alto Garda Bresciano

Gardone and Lakeside (Church and monuments)

Gardone and Lakeside (Church and monuments)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Italy (ELCI) was created immediately after the Second World War, long after the founding of its constituent communities, whose origins and historical developments differ completely from each other. When ELCI was established, it was intended that it would support the existence of the Lutheran communities in Italy, mostly with German members, who had to cope with a shortage of material aid from Germany after the dramatic post-war difficulties. The pastors of the community asked the help of the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva. This organisation at that time was working for to the refugees and prisoners of the war. The Pastors learned from LWF, they might get help through the financial support of Lutheran Churches in America, but the individual Lutheran communities must form a united church in Italy.

On October 1949 the ELCI was established as an independent Lutheran Church and also was also covered by Italian law. The only strange thing in the European context, that even today, the German Lutheran communities worldwide are considered as” community abroad”, and therefore they are dependent on the Evangelical Church in Germany (ECG).

Source: https://www.chiesaluterana.it/en/storia-della-celi/

Nativity of Mary Church (Gardone)

Church a stone's throw from our beautiful lakefront built in the eighteenth century and renovated in 1921.

Frontlake D'Annunzio (Gardone)

Even if it's a short walk it's a beautiful location on the lake front with two beautiful squares where you can find refreshment.

• Piazza Guglielmo Marconi
• Piazza Luigi Wimmer

Tower San Marco

The tower, of eclectic taste, was originally part, together with the park and the dock, of a vast complex of annexes attached to Villa Alba, connected to the main building by a flyover, now removed. The building was erected in the late nineteenth century by the builder R. Langenspiesen on a project by architect Shafer. Confiscated and sold in 1918, it was acquired by Gabriele D'Annunzio who renamed it Torre S. Marco and commissioned its adaptation to be transformed into a romantic rendezvous place; the Mas of the Buccari company was placed in the dock. In the dramatic years of the Republic of Salò, the tower became a silent witness to the incidents between Benito Mussolini and Claretta Petacci, while today, still immersed in a lush park, it is used as a disco.

Source: Comunità Montana Parco Alto Garda Bresciano

Villa Alba

Villa Alba is located in the center of Gardone Riviera which is one of the most important places of Lake Garda, as well as the most cosmopolitan town of the Brescia coast: the historic center, the characteristic lakefront and the elegant villas with sumptuous gardens make Gardone an authentic protagonist in the history of events, culture and tourism of Lake Garda. The same poet Gabriele D'Annunzio built in 1921 "Il Vittoriale degli Italiani", emblem of his inimitable life, elevates Gardone to the stage of the international cultural scene and tourist pearl able to attract visitors from all over the world. In this flourishing landscape of the early '900, Villa Alba is made, originally called "Villa Ruhland", whose translation "Peace in the Landscape" is emblematic for the atmosphere that arouses. The owner Langensiepen, using the architect Shafer for the design, wanted it in neoclassical style thus creating a structure that refers to the monuments of the acropolis of Athens. In the '70s it was bought by the Municipality of Gardone Riviera becoming the "first Garda congress center" to host exhibitions, art exhibitions, events, and standing up as a promoter of meetings and culture

Source: Comunità Montana Parco Alto Garda Bresciano

The fractions of Gardone (Morgnaga e Fasano)

Church of Sant'Antonio Abate (Morgnaga)

The church of Sant'Antonio Abate is located in the hamlet of Morgnaga and is a very simple and austere building on the outside while inside we have wall paintings. The unique central nave has side chapels.

Source: Tarsì

Church of San Faustino and Giovita

The parish church dedicated to the holy martyrs of Brescia Faustino and Giovita, was formerly called "Fasano in ripa" church due to its proximity to the coast. The massive bell tower, built on a more ancient stand, of medieval origin, seems to be one of those ancient watch towers that protected the Gulf of Maderno.

Source: Comunità Montana Parco Alto Garda Bresciano

Lonato Center (Fortress, Churches and Monuments)

Church of Beata Vergine Del Corlo

The church dates back to the 14th century, as some frescoes are witnessing next to the portal. In 1505 it was granted to the Confraternity of the Disciplines, which continued for two centuries to enrich the building with works of art and decorations. From the beautiful sixteenth-century portal, which enriches the simple facade, through a long staircase, you access the church, elevated to the current road plan. The interior, with a single nave, is full of frescoes dating back to the 18th century.

Remarkable is the presbytery, through which you enter the chorus, once used as a solemn meeting room of the Disciplines. On the  opposite wall, above the access staircase, a 15th-century fresco with figures of saints was brought to light.

On the sides there are the perfectly symmetrical chapels of San Michele (frescoed by Pietro Marone, author of Brescia's mannerism) and of the Most Holy Trinity (painted by Orazio da Asola). Closed by the railing is the chapel of the tomb with wooden statues depicting the dead Christ, the Madonna, St. John and the Pie Women.

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

House of Podestà

This building was erected towards in the mid fifteenth century as the residence of the representative of the Republic of Venice in Lonato, a territory which was under Venetian domination for almost 350 years. The House of the Podestà or chief magistrate belonged to Venice until the Treaty of Campoformio in 1797, when it became Austrian propriety and was turned into a military barracks.

In the second half of the nineteenth century the building passed at the ends at the Town Hall of Lonato which took not interested in it, using it as poorhouse for the town poorest families.

In 1906 the Liberal deputy Ugo Da Como bought it at a public auction and submitted it to a radical restoration based on the historicist recovery of the original style: appointing Antonio Tagliaferri, the most important Brescia architect of the period, as supervisor of the works.

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

Ornithological Museum

The Museum of Birds of Lonato is located inside the house of the castle captain and his collection of stuffed birds, representing fully the Italian bird life, it was built in the early '900 by Gustavo Adolfo Carlotto.

The current exhibition at the Tower of St. Martin was inaugurated in 1996. The museum currently occupies four rooms of the Rocchetta di Lonato Castle. The exposure is ordered according to ecological criteria, namely according to the typical environment of origin. Each item is accompanied by a didactic form, which includes the Italian name, the scientific name and the main news on the species.

The exposed species can be distinguished: sedentary nesting or stationary, present throughout the year in Italy, summer nesting migratory, nesting during the spring and summer months, wintering or winter, especially that stop in Italy in the cold months and migratory, passing on Italy in the spring to go at the usual nesting places.

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

Card with contribution of Melania Raimondi, accademia santagiulia

Lonato Castle

The castle of Lonato, called "Rock", rises on one of the reliefs of the amphitheater overlooking the southern part of Lake Garda.

The fortification, which is presented as one of the most impressive in Lombardy, was intended purely for defense needs and military order. E 'consists of two bodies, at different levels: the "Rocchetta", in the highest part, and the Main Area, in the lower part.

The castle is accessed from the south side through a door and a drawbridge restored in 1980 by an intervention by the Soprintendeza of Architectural Heritage.

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

Contributed by Melania Raimondi, accademia santagiulia

Shrine of S. Martino

La chiesa di San Martino era già esistente del 1184, questa chiesa era molto diffusa ai Franchi e soprattutto la loro devozione a San Martino.

Dell'antica chiesetta sono rimaste solo alcune strutture alla cascina omonima.Nel 1614, secondo la tradizione, una fanciulla nata muta riprende a parlare grazie all’apparizione della Madonna e presto, sul luogo dell’apparizione, viene costruita una piccola chiesa

Dopo la scomparsa della peste del 1630 si decise di erigere un Santuario poichè era aumentata la devozione alla Madonna,

La Chiesa fu iniziata nel 1639 e grazie ad altri miracoli la devozione verso la Beata Vergine aumentò e nel 1674 ultimarono finalmente i lavori di costruzione del santaurio della Beata Vergine di San Martino.

Il nuovo Santuario è stato completato con la facciata marmorea nel 1675, ed è a pianta quadrata. Il 12 maggio 1675 vi fu trasferita con solennità la sacra immagine.

Durante il trasporto avvenne un caso inspiegabile: nessuno degli operai tranne l'arciprete riuscì a smuovere la statua: il fatto è documentato su una tavola in legno conservata nella Pieve di S.Zeno. L'interno del Santuario è a croce greca e con una cupola emisferica internamente e ottagonale all'esterno.

Fonte: Comune di Lonato e Fondazione Ugo da Como 

Contributo studenti Accademia Santa Giulia di Brescia

Civic Tower of Lonato

The Civic Tower, built between 1555 and 1589, is 55 metres tall. It ended with a copper and lead dome which was replaced in 1880 with the current battlements in neo-Gothic style. During the rule of the Venetian Republic, the bell-ringer, who resided in the Civic Tower was not only in charge of ringing the bells but also of regulating the clock. The civic function of the tower was in fact marked from the beginning by the presence of the clock, already purchased and installed in 1589, it regulated the public life in Lonato. A new mechanism, today visible and restored inside the tower, was installed in 1773 by Domenico Crespi of Cremona.

During Venetian Rule there was also a men's jail on the ground floor.

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

Contribution of students to the Santa Giulia Academy of Brescia

Basilica of St. John

The construction began in 1339 and ended in 1780 with the architect Paolo Soratini Lonato. The Minor Basilica dedicated to the Patron of Lonato is one of the most important eighteenth-century works of the Brescia area. With its majestic dome is the unmistakable symbol of the city.

The interior of the church has thirteen altars with valuable frescoes and Pale. The most important are the altars of S. Zeno and St. Francis of Paola with paintings of Veronese master Antonio Balestra and Antonio Linetti. On the altar of S. Teodoro we have a large altarpiece commissioned by the Community Lonato during the plague of 1574 and attributed to Paolo Farinati.

In the eight rounds dome represent scenes from the Old and New Testaments, by Giosuè Scotti.

Spectacular is the choir, the apse, the engraver operates Brescia Girolamo Foresti. The most precious work and artistically significant is the Church of the sixteenth century tabernacle on the altar of the Blessed Sacrament. The sacristy is preserved one of the works considered the most valuable, the triptych by Bernardino Licinio of 1528. Very beautiful are the two monumental holy water fonts in white and yellow marble, surmounted by statues of St. John and St. Zeno and the gorgeous bath that complement the Baptistery the rich decoration of the Basilica.

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

Contribution of Sergi Alice, Accademia Santa Giulia

Palazzo Zambelli (Lonato)

Currently the location for the municipal library, Zambelli's palace was the property of an important noble family from Lonato. Because of its size, it was chosen as the seat of the Sardinian general headquarters on the eve of San Martino and Solferino battle. Recently restored and brought back to its ancient splendor, the palace contains interesting frescos by the Celesti's School, which reconstruct a rich and scenographic architectonic deployment thanks to the wise use of prospective.

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

Contribution of students to the Santa Giulia Academy of Brescia

Martiri della Libertà Square

Piazza Martiri della Libertà is the main square of the village where you can see the War Memorial of the First World War (by Luigi Contratti) and the Column with the Lion of San Marco, symbol of the Serenissima Republic of
Venice that governed Lonato from the mid-fifteenth century until the end of the eighteenth century, for almost 350 years uninterrupted.

The current headquarters of the Scuola di Paola di Rosa was the seat of the Venetian Provveditore, while the Town Hall dates back to its present form in the 17th century.

The Sala del Consiglio preserves an ancient eighteenth-century map of the territory of Lonato and the ceiling features nineteenth-century decorations dedicated to the Lonatese agronomist Camillo Tarello (1517-1573).

This large room is called "Sala del Celesti" because it preserves an exceptional work of art, executed in 1693 for this environment, by the Venetian painter Andrea Celesti (1637-1712). The large canvas (measuring 262x735 cm) was commissioned by the City Council in 1692 to commemorate the cessation of the plague of 1630.

At the center is Jesus Christ with the Virgin on the left and Saint John the Baptist on the right, the patron saint of Lonato. On the left the allegory of Lonato with the Doge of Venice and the three theological virtues beside him, while on the right the painter represented the consequences of the plague, with a lazaretto and the winged demon who is flying away.

In the Piazza there is a weekly market on Thursday and Saturday mornings, as well as the antiques market, every third Sunday of the month (with the exception of the month of January).

Barcuzzi-Maguzzano (Beach and Abbazia)

Abbey of Maguzzano

The ancient "Abatiola" Benedictine rose near a Roman road in the late ninth century. It was burned down by the Hungarians in the early twentieth century and, after the first reconstruction, was devastated by the Visconti troops in 1339.

After unification with the Abbey of San Benedetto Po in Polirone (Mn) in 1490, it was rebuilt almost from the ground up and adorned the beautiful Renaissance Church and the elegant cloister (1491-1496).

In 1553 it housed the illustrious Card.Reginaldo Pole (1500-58) here carried out intense diplomatic activity for England return to the Church of Rome.

The abbey was suppressed by Napoleon in 1796, it passed into private ownership.

In 1904 they returned the monks: a community of Trappist Cistercians of strict observance, from Stauoeli (Algeria), who remained there until 1938.

In September of that year he went to Don Giovanni Calabria, a priest from Verona who had recently founded the Congregation of the Poor Servants of Divine Providence, in Verona.

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

Contribution of students to the Santa Giulia Academy of Brescia

Lonato Beach

Beach of Lonato is a small beach located in the municipality of Lonato del Garda - Maguzzano. Famous for its activities and entertainment venues especially at night.

Sedena-Bettola (Castle and Churches)

Drugolo Castle

The old village of Drugolo dates back to the X century and had maybe longobardic origins.

It was feud of the Averoldi that lived till the middle of the XX century and the name of the manor has already linked to them. The castle is well-maintained (today the visits are not allowed).

The promenade between the hills of Drugolo leads to the ancient property called Convento dei Cappuccini” (today it is a private property and so it’s no possible to visit it).

Church of the Dead of the Forest

In the northern of Drugolo, where in the past has been a wood, it is located a small church built within the perimeter of a lazaret where the persons infected by the plague from Drugolo and from the nearby Padenghe were grouped since 1445.

The noble family Averoldi from Brescia used this site as a cemetery for the people who died from the plague in the XVI and XVII centuries, and they finished the construction of the building in the XVIII century as it stands now.

Pieve di San Zeno

The Romanesque parish church rises up on the top of an isolated hill and shows an architectonical structure of the 14th century.

Positioning east-west, it has a unique room of meters 26,5 for meters 8,5 with an half-circular apse and a double sloped roof.The brickwork structure reveals the complex layering of different masonries; the variety of the stone materials, of the manufactures and of the mortar shows  two different productive phases of the Romanesque age.

The iron gray sandstone, cut and smoothed, was used in the apse and in a lot of the details.The façade, the only part of the church that was changed in its originality, shows ashlars of different sizes. 

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

Scoperta, Cipriano, Esenta (Santuario e Fornaci)

Fornaci Romane (Esenta)

Discovered accidentally in the town of Furnace Gorghi in 1985, following the work for the construction of a transformer station ENEL, came to light a complex of furnaces of the I and II century, which is perhaps a high unicumin Italy.

The Furnace A is one of the two furnaces musealizzate Roman times and can be visited in Lombardy with circular plan and intended for the brick baking. No tanks were found to settle the clay, while there are perhaps functional rooms to activities related to the drying of tiles and bricks. The other furnaces identified in the course of the excavation, to the precarious state in which they were and the difficulties of their conservation and musealization, have been reinterrate.

Contributed by Mario from Castiglione d/S

Ph:Pubblico dominio, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1280709

Sanctuary of Madonna della Scoperta

The hamlet of Madonna della Scoperta is situated on the border of Lonato, near Desenzano del Garda, and is linked with the facts of the Battle of Solferino and San Martino of the 24th June 1859.

The strange name comes from a fact happened here: under-earth was found a painting of the Virgin, erfectly conserved.

A lot of persons considered this episode like a miracle, and so the church of seventeenth-century forms was transformed in a sanctuary.

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

Church of S. Cipriano (San Cipriano)

The church of San Cipriano, 2 km from Lonato, is an old church nominated the first time in 1184 in the seal of the Pope Lucio III.

The building was restored in 1722, when the bell tower was built. In 1729 the Town Hall ceded the property of the church to the inhabitants of the hamlet.

We can admire the semicircular apse from the Romanic period divided by thin pilaster strips, resting upon a high base, that divide the structure in three sections, where in each one opens to a lancet window.

Source: Municipality of Lonato and Ugo da Como Foundation

Padenghe center (Palace Barbieri and the churches)

Barbieri Palace

From initial investigations it appears that part of the building was already existing around the sixteenth century and this is shown by the discovery made during the restoration work. The palace, built on old walls, is a beautiful building enlarged then with remakes and reconstructions. It is of the 18th century U shape, with wings facing South and structured on two floors.

The portal, in stone ashlar, dates back to 1791 and opens onto an atrium formed by six columns supporting cross vaults. The courtyard is enclosed by the wings of the building also composed, like the facade, in pebbles and stones.
The ground floor of the left side leads to the cellar, whose vault is built in stone and has a double wall on the East side. This room was completely filled with earth and was discovered thanks to the expertise of the architect in charge. In this room a vaulted stone oven has been found that is presumed to be used for baking bread. In the right wing of the ground floor, instead, there are rooms with walls decorated with period paintings now retouched and restored to their original beauty.

A magnificent ivory marble staircase leads to the first floor, now home to the various municipal offices. Among these remarkable is the ceiling of the technical study in wooden beams and iron rods.

Source: Municipality of Padenghe

Church of the Madonna della Neve and San Giovanni Decollato

Built by the will of a Confraternity in the second half of the sixteenth century. The Confraternity of Discipline was an association of lay Christians who voluntarily gathered to pray and to promote works of piety.

It is named after the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Snow and Decollation of St. John the Baptist.

The Church has characteristic forms of early 16th century Brescia architecture. It has a single nave with a barrel roof. The roof is gabled and the façade has a simple Botticino marble portal and a window.

In this church, on the main altar there is a pre-Caravaggio masterpiece from the 16th century, an extremely refined work that portrays the Decollation of St. John the Baptist in front of Salome. It was executed in 1584 by Giovanni Battista Trotti.

On the wall to the left of the entrance there is a 1787 painting on canvas depicting Saint Luigi Gonzaga executed by the painter G. A. Zadei. Another important work on the left wall is a painting depicting St. Anthony of Padua, who dialogues with the Child Jesus, by the painter Cremelli Barbelli, executed in the mid 1600s.

On the right wall of the church there is a painting of San Rocco by an unknown artist of the seventeenth century.

Source: Municipality of Padenghe

Church of S.Maria Assunta

The construction of the current Parish Church of Padenghe sul Garda began in the late 1500s, however the origin of the church is certainly older. The projects of the church and the high altar were commissioned to the Veronese painter Paolo Farinati. It has a single nave 24.35m long and 11.1m wide, with a barrel vault and the presbytery has a rectangular plan. The church has eight altars.

On the right of the entrance the first altar is dedicated to the Assumption and was performed by the marmorino Felice Sugari di Rezzato at the beginning of the 19th century. The beautiful canvas of the altar depicts Maria Assunta in Cielo between the Angels with Giuseppe and S. Francesco Saverio. The second altar on the right is dedicated to the Madonna dei Sette Dolori. The painting, oil on canvas, was painted at the beginning of the seventeenth century by Antonio Gandino.

In the third altar on the right, the Chapel of the Crucifix was erected in 1836. In the niche of the altar there is a 16th century wooden crucifix of exquisite work by an unknown artist. In this chapel there are seven wooden statues that make up the Deposition of the Dead Christ in the Holy Semper. This Lament was built in 1731 by the famous sculptor from Brescia Beniamino Simoni and is also considered the first dated work known to the sculptor.

The fourth altar on the right is still dedicated to the Madonna. Inside the niche there is a wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin enthroned with the Blessing Child. The very valuable statue is by unknown artist, but the bill indicates it as the work of a Brescian school of the first half of the sixteenth century.

The marble high altar was built in the 18th century. The altarpiece depicts the Madonna and Child with Saints Emiliano, Cassiano, Miletto, Ippolito, Vito and Modesto. It is an oil on canvas of 1584 by the Veronese painter Paolo Farinati. On the right side of the presbytery is placed a very important painting: it is an oil on a table of 1500 depicting St. Christopher carrying Jesus on his shoulders and on the sides S. Sebastiano and S. Rocco, the unknown author. On the left wall of the presbytery is placed a painting depicting the Madonna and Child, S. Girolamo and S. Caterina. It is a copy of the famous Correggio canvas executed in the 18th century, now conserved in the Parma Art Gallery. From the documents we learn that it was donated to the parish of Padenghe in 1913 by the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan.

On the left we find the baptistery in the first chapel. In the second there is the altar dedicated to the SS. Trinity and St. Anthony of Padua, whose oil shovel is painted in fact depicts The Holy Trinity adored by St. Anthony of Padua and is of the late 1600. This painting is very important, is a testimony of the profound popular religiosity of the time.

In the third chapel is the altar of relics, built in the sixteenth century, perhaps the most characteristic of the whole church. The working of the marble inlays of the altar is from the Brescia school of the end of the 16th century. The altar is surmounted by a masterpiece, oil on canvas depicting the Blessed Virgin enthroned, carrying Baby Jesus in her arms, surrounded by St. Christopher, St. Sebastian, St. Anthony Abbot and St. Donatus. The canvas was painted by Zenon Veronese who executed it in 1541-42.

The last altar on the left is dedicated to S. Rocco, completed in 1844. In the niche there is a suggestive polychrome wooden statue representing S. Rocco with the dog. This statue dates back to 1500.

On the counter-façade of the Church there are 2 paintings. On the left an oil on canvas depicting the Trinity, the Blessed Virgin and Saints Rocco and Antonio da Padova. Executed in 1637 by Bernardino Gandino, son of Antonio. On the right is a painting by Giovanni Andrea Bertanza of the seventeenth century and depicts the Lamentation over the Dead Christ with the Pie Donne and S. Stefano.

In the lunette above the altar-piece of the main altar there is a remarkable fresco by the painter Angelo Landi, depicting an Angel and it was realized in 1903. The ceiling of the church dates back to the beginning of 1900, by the artist Arturo Castelli who frescoed the nave in 1909. The bell tower was started in 1616 but the current one was inaugurated in 1926. The organ of the 1800s is valuable.

The church has undergone numerous interventions throughout its history. The major took place between 1906 and 1910 with the completion of the structures, in 1926 with the Bell Tower, in 1954 with the Replacement of the Paving and finally in 2001-2004 with the Conservative Restoration of all internal surfaces of the Church.

Source: Municipality of Padenghe

Church of Beata Vergine della Torricella

Built in the mid-1500s by the faithful of Padenghe sul Garda in the place where a young girl saw the Madonna appear who ordered her to build a church while the bell tower was built in 1785.

Underwent in 2011 a Conservative Restoration co-funded by the Municipality of Padenghe sul Garda and the European Union is presented as a simple chapel with a central rosette on the facade. Inside there is a wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary enthroned carrying Baby Jesus, also restored in 2013 thanks to the will and resources of the citizens of Padenghe sul Garda.

In 1812 next to the church the present cemetery was built in compliance with the Napoleonic provisions, which forbid the burials in inhabited centers

Source: Municipality of Padenghe

Pratello and Padenghe (Castelo and Churches)

Church of Pratello

Thanks to a legacy of a Colonel of the Venetian Republic living in Pratello, around the 1920s, the Church of Pratello, named after the Blessed Virgin Mary and S. Eurosia, was erected a few years later.

The single-barreled building with a barrel-vaulted facade has a tympanum crown on the façade that emphasizes the elegance of the structure. The portal and the overlying window also contribute to making the whole work as valuable.

Inside a small display cabinet on the left wall is a small jewel of sacred art. It is a 16th century icon painted on wood and well preserved. The image belongs to the group of icons of the Venetian "madonnieri" who worked mainly on the island of Crete.

Source: Municipality of Padenghe

Church of S.Emiliano

The parish church of Sant'Emiliano, built at the beginning of the tenth century, is an interesting example of pure Romanesque, which has maintained its characteristics to this day.

The building has a single simple and linear aisle with a semicircular apse, built with local materials of various types, for which there has not been a rational use of the different types of stones to achieve a precise play of colors. It strikes precisely because of the striking purity of the Romanesque architectural features and the pleasant effect of the differently colored square segments.

It stands on a hill near the Castle of Padenghe sul Garda and overlooks a field where important remains of a Roman construction were found in the mid-90s.

From this point it is possible to admire a wonderful panorama of the southern part of Lake Garda.

Municipality of Padenghe

Padenghe Castle

The first historical documents that bear witness to the existence of the Castle of Padenghe sul Garda are of the year 1000. In reality there are two defensive enclosures, leaning against one another the Castle and the Castellino, with the circular tower.

The Castle of Padenghe sul Garda is one of the most remarkable examples of medieval structures existing in Valtenesi and in the surrounding territories. With a rectangular plan of about 40 x 70 m, it has a wall made of large pebbles. Merli are raised over the whole wall.

There are three towers; the main one rises up at the entrance, is 21.5m high and externally bears the traces of the drawbridge slits.

There are many historical sources that retrace the history of the Castle and the country more generally, including official documents of the Holy Roman Empire of 1154 with the emperor Federico Barbarossa; in the 12th and 13th centuries the Castle was at the center of the struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines, between the Municipality of Brescia and that of Verona, which fought over the lands of the Riviera. Later in 1400 the control passed to the Venetian Republic of Venice.

Starting from the seventeenth century with the increasing political stability the function of the castle declined and the houses in the castle were permanently inhabited by families of the country, as still today.

Source: Municipality of Padenghe

Padenghe Bassa (Beaches and the Vaso Ri)

The Vaso Ri

The Rio Vaso Ri is a watercourse that runs through the municipality of Padenghe sul Garda; born in the locality "Le Freddi" on the border with Soiano del Lago and was very important for the economy of the country. In fact along its path were built Filatoi, Oleifici, Mills driven by the power of water. Even today there is a large iron wheel in the locality of "Monte". After passing through the historic center of the village, Villa crosses the road passing over a bridge from 1840. Recent interventions have allowed the Municipality of Padenghe an area of 35000 square meters, about 300 meters from the Historical Center, which runs along the 'water. Today it has been planted with about 200 plants and has within it a path of 800m thanks to an intervention funded by the Municipality and the European Union.

Source: Municipality of Padenghe

Beaches of Padenghe

The most important beaches of the Municipality of Padenghe are those in the locality "Lido", one of the largest of Lake Garda, "San Cassiano" on the border with Moniga del Garda, "Porto" at the Town Hall of Padenghe sul Garda. Since 2013, the Walk to Lake that connects Padenghe with Moniga has been completed. It greatly increases the available beach spaces, as well as being a beautiful natural route.

Source: Municipality of Padenghe and Union of Municipalities of Valtenesi

Manerba center (Castle and Churches)

Church of S.Giovanni Battista Decollato (Manerba)

It was rebuilt towards the half of the 18th century on a previous building. It belonged to the Order of the Knights of Malta, which was disbanded in the Napoleonic pe-riod. Remarkable is the baroque curved line that moves the whole façade some stuccos still remain in the church.

Source: Municipality of Manerba and Union of Municipalities of Valtenesi

Castle (Manerba)

Today only the entrance tower and a short section of the walls incorporated into the subsequent buildings can be recognized

Church of S.Maria Assunta (Manerba)

It succeeded at “Pieve Vecchia”, a new parish church. The foundation stone was laid on 20th January 1746. It was consecrated by Bishop Morosini of Verona, on the fourth Easter Sunday 1781, and dedicated to S. Mary of the Assumption. It is located in a high and central position, with a wide square in front of it. The church is in neoclassical style and has a remarkable artistic value. The architectural complex is spacious and solemn, the façade is imposing. The great inner nave is embellished by a precious polychromatic marble altar, great paintings and high sculptures.

In the wall, at the end of the apse, there is the niche keeping the precious wooden statue of the Madonna with Child, transferred from the old Pieve and object of the age-long devotion of the believers of the community. A great organ, built in 1845 by Francesco Marchesini and restored from his son Gaetano in 1890, completes the harmonious framework.

Source: Municipality of Manerba and Union of Municipalities of Valtenesi

Museum of Folk Culture of Minerva Palace

Situated in the main square of the town, beside the parish church, the Palace Minerva appears solemn in its harmonious beauty. Recently restored it has soon become the heart of the cultural life of Manerba. It is considered rightly as a folk culture centre.
A small, but valuable “Museum of Agriculture” has been established in a hall on the ground floor, a plastic witness of the old and still alive agricultural tradition, the bearing axis of Manerba economic and social life. The tools of the oil and wine cultures, fundamental traditional cultivations, can be seen there, but there are also old tools used by carpenters, smiths and weavers and some more. There is even evidence of the silkworm breeding, an activity that was important to integrate the often precarious agricultural resources. The space assigned to the fishing is also very important, an activity always characterizing the life of lake communities.

Source: Municipality of Manerba and Union of Municipalities of Valtenesia