Vittoriale Degli Italiani: A Fascinating And Creepy Remainder Of Fascist Power And Architecture

As there are incredibly lovely surroundings and views, an elegant and relaxing atmosphere, and leisure activities aplenty to choose from, Lake Garda has long been a place where the rich and famous have chosen to make their homes or to build holiday homes. Accordingly, along the shores of Lake Garda and on the islands throughout the lake, you will find some of the most impossibly beautiful estates, villas, and mansions in the entire world. If you have found a vacation rental in Lombardy or a holiday rental on Lake Garda and you are exploring the region or, better yet, if you have a particular interest in stately homes, architectural gems, and amazing gardens, then you will be very much in luck as there are lots of astounding treats to discover in and around Lake Garda. One such fascinating (albeit controversial) site is the Vittoriale degli Italiani (The Shrine of Italian Victories), a hillside estate in the town of Gardone Riviera.

The Vittoriale degli Italiani’s most famous inhabitant was the Italian poet Gabriele d'Annunzio who has left the biggest mark on the property to this day and under whom large expansion and reconstruction was undertaken. D’Annuzio is, today, a controversial figure, a talented writer and famous rogue who is considered a proto-fascist and was once a rival to Mussolini’s leadership of Fascist Italy.

In fact, after first renting the property in 1921, he was allotted an incredible sum of money in order to expand the estate as a way for the fascists to try and keep him distracted and away from political life. Consisting of the main residence, where d'Annunzio lived called the Prioria, an amphitheatre, the protected cruiser Puglia that is set into a hillside, a boathouse containing an MAS vessel used by D'Annunzio in 1918, and a mausoleum, the estate of Vittoriale degli Italiani is a mixture of lovely exteriors and views and gloomy interiors piled with all sorts of objects. It is a love letter to excess, a somewhat foreboding and off-putting visitor experience, and yet undeniably intriguing.

Inside the house, you will find that every surface is covered in things, lots and lots of eccentric and diverse things. It is home to over 30,000 books and 10,000 objects from paintings, to pieces of furniture, to frescoes, to objets d’art, to death masks, to statues of Buddha, all in low-ceilinged rooms cast in eerie light from the stained-glass windows and kept gloomy as D’Annunzio suffered from photophobia in later life and could not tolerate bright light. A walk through the darkened and jam-packed house feels like a walk through the writer’s mind and a bit of an acid trip.

An artist who compared himself to Dante and Michelangelo, suffered from quite the ego, and was much concerned with his own myth-building, D’Annunzio’s house reflects all of this with all sorts of strange features to be found in the house such as: two audience rooms for welcoming guests, one for welcome guests and one for unwanted guests; the so-called “Leper’s Room” where he would be laid out on his deathbed, surrounded by a statue of St Sebastian, ancient Egyptian statuary, leopard-skin rugs, and an altar of sorts featuring a bed that resembles both a cradle and coffin; and a study featuring a low lintel that forced visitors to bow as they entered. Tours of this bizarre spots are offered every 15 minutes and last just half an hour. They are offered only in Italian but you can appreciate the peculiarities and oppressive grandeur of the space without understanding a word of the tour.

Once you get back outside, there is still more to see and do and it is a relief to emerge from the overwhelming atmosphere and cluttered space inside. You can then go and explore the gardens and grounds. Not only do they boast some of the most exceptional views over Lake Garda, they are also dotted with further monuments and buildings to be discovered. Visit the extraordinary 1,000-seat Parlaggio amphitheatre, the remains of the Puglia battleship cruiser, and the insane, overblown fascist architectural monument that is D’Annunzio’s mausoleum, surrounded by a ring of caskets housing the remains of his closest friends. Marvel in the madness and excess of Fascism and be very glad that it is over, be sure to steel yourself against its ideology and anything of the sort ever happening again. Then, glance over the beauty of the garden and of nature, right across the glittering waters of Lake Garda, and towards the mountains in the distance. Breathe, take it all in, and leave the gloom behind.

If you’re interested in architecture, history, and atmospheric spaces that feel as though you are stepping back through space into a particular moment in time, a visit to the Vittoriale degli Italiani is a great idea. It is not necessarily an enjoyable experience at times but it is certainly a fascinating look at a strange and terrible part of Italy and Europe’s history and a testament to one man’s ego. If you have found a vacation rental in Lombardy or a holiday rental on Lake Garda and are exploring this part of Italy, it is a uniquely intriguing spot and, aside from everything else, one of the best places to go and take in views over the lake and her stunning surrounding landscape!


Il Vittoriale Degli Italiani
Via Al Vittoriale 12, 25083 Gardone Riviera, Brescia, Lombardy
+39 0365 296511

Opening hours:
1st of October to the 31st of March: 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm
1st of April to the 30th of September: 9am to 7pm.

Tickets: €8