Torri del Benaco 641

The Island of Garda – also known as the Isola del Garda, Isola di Garda or Isola Borghese – is the largest island on Lake Garda. It has been inhabited for thousands of years, going back to Roman times. After being used by pirates for years, it came under the control of the monks of St Zeno of Verona. It then shifted hands many times over the years. The current villa, the Villa Borghese-Cavazza, which occupies the island was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is occupied by the Cavazza Counts who inherited the island in 1927 and still live there today.

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.

Italy is beautiful in Spring; the countryside is lush, the cities less full, the queues outside tourist attractions smaller, the temperatures more pleasant, and the prices of things lower. It is a great time to plan a vacation to most parts of the country, however, there are some destinations that are particular lovely in Spring, at their best at this time of year. We began outlining some of these spots in the last post and will continue to in the next but here are two more to keep in mind...

In the lovely little town of Sirmione, right on Lake Garda, there stands a rather unique building. A rare example of medieval port fortification, Scaliger Castle, or Castello Scaligero, was begun in 1277 by Mastino della Scala and work was continued in three phases into the fifteenth century.

Why not find a vacation villa rental on the Garda lake and spend a pleasant afternoon exploring the grounds of this magnificent structure before descending into the historic centre of Sirmione below and grabbing something to eat in a local restaurant?

Sirmione is a small town with a population of less than 9,000 which is located on Lake Garda. However, despite its relatively small size, it is jam-packed with things to see and do, history and architectural gems. The area has been settled since the Stone Age when it was probably home to fishermen who lived in houses on stilts on the banks of the lake.

One such settlement found nearby at Lugana Vecchia is part of the collection of such sites across a variety of countries in the vicinity of the Alps, including Slovenia, Austria, Germany, France and Switzerland and is now considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.