Culture
Lazise
Lazise is surrounded on 3 sides by the high Scaligeri walls, while on the west side it borders on the Lake, with its reflections of light.
Walking through the historic center, you can easily notice its medieval appearance, which has been preserved intact over time and is still witnessed today by the turreted Scaliger walls.
The Scaligeri castle (la Rocca), with its crenellated defenses, the five towers and the mastio is owned by the noble Bernini family.
The first documents that describe the existence of an important community in Lazise date back to the early Middle Ages: among these, the imperial document signed by King Otto II in 983 AD, which grants the village complete civic autonomy. This makes Lazise the first municipality (Comune) of Italy.
Peschiera
Peschiera del Garda is one of the most original villages on eastern Lake Garda because it is completely surrounded by canals and overlooks the lake at the point where the waters of the Garda flow into the Mincio.
There are traces of civilization in Peschiera del Garda dating back to the Bronze Age, but the first settlement dates back to between 1500 and 1100 BC.
Walking through the town it is possible to see the Venetian walls that now surround Piazza Betteloni, on the small harbor. The Peschiera fortress is an imposing defensive work which for centuries protected the town of Peschiera del Garda.
From 9th July 2017 the fortress of Peschiera became part of the Unesco World Heritage Site, in the transnational serial site “Venetian defense works between the 16th and 17th centuries: State from Land-State from Western Sea”.
Sirmione and Grotte di Catullo
Sirmione is located on the Lombard shore of Lake Garda, and rightfully got the title of “Pearl of Garda” for the beauty of the landscape that surrounds it and for the harmony of the houses, streets and squares that have absorbed the charm and harmony of past centuries.
Sirmione is built on a long and narrow strip of land, which connects it to Brescia and Verona from the road.
On this strip of land, in the first century BC, a villa was built that still tells us about the history of this place and of Benaco itself … ..
Today called the Grotte di Catullo, the ruins of this villa rise in one of the most panoramic points of the Garda, where it was built for a certainly eminent personality, one of the most spectacular Roman domus; nowadays one of the most important in northern Italy.
It has been preserved over the centuries, and represents an archaeological complex known for its beauty and uniqueness, covering over 20,000 square meters.
Verona
Verona, a magical city where art, history and culture come together to give you wonderful memories.
The historic center of Verona is undoubtedly a place full of characteristic places that are worth visiting at any time of the year. The ideal starting point can only be the very central Piazza Bra. Here you can admire the ancient walls of the Verona Arena, home to one of the most famous opera festivals in Europe each year, and the Portoni della Bra.
The other many monuments of the city can be reached with a pleasant walk that will leave you speechless at every step. Perhaps starting from Viale Mazzini, the shopping street of Verona, which connects Piazza Bra to Piazza Erbe.
However, a visit to Verona cannot be considered complete without having a look at Juliet’s house and its renowed balcony, made famous throughout the world for the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet.
Venezia
“Set like this on both sides of the canal, the houses made us think of natural places, but of a nature that had created its works with a human image.” [Marcel Proust]
Elegant, precious, inimitable, fun, romantic: this is Venice, a gem of the Venetian and Italian tourist panorama, where churches, palaces, ancient bridges, monuments and squares tell the artistic and cultural vivacity that has marked and still marks the history of this city .
The beating heart of Venice is the wonderful Piazza San Marco, the most elegant “living room” in Europe, surrounded by works of indisputable value: the imposing Bell Tower and the Basilica with its five portals and marble decorations and mosaics that only anticipate splendor and richness of the interior; Doge’s Palace, symbol of the golden age of the Serenissima; Torre dei Mori, better known as the Clock Tower, for the engineering masterpiece that has marked the time of Venice for centuries; the Napoleonic Wing, where the Correr Museum is located. And how to forget the famous Bridge of Sighs, from where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the lagoon, and thousands other beauties!
Vittoriale degli italiani
Vittoriale degli Italiani, known also as “Vittoriale”, is a monumental complex commissioned by Gabriele d’Annunzio starting in 1921.
The famous poet, journalist, military man and patriot from Abruzzo, after living in Gardone Riviera and falling in love with Laka Garda’s landscape, decided to buy the property where Vittoriale stands today and turn it into a memory journal of his exceptional life and of the Italian people during World War I.
Gardens, roads, streets, squares, house, library, water streams, amphiteatre: when you visit Vittoriale for the first time, you don’t really know what to expect. Indeed, every corner hides a surprise.
Vittoriale is a small, yet grand, separate world perfectly set in the lake environment. Every indoor and outdoor area conveys the peculiarity and fantasy of D’Annunzio’s personality, who gathered as many keepsakes as possible: sculptures, army medals, relics, thousands of books, and works of art of all styles. This is truly a house-museum to the utmost extent.
In addition, here is what you will never expect to find, sprinkled around the whole complex: a SVA plane, Puglia military ship, a MAS96 submarine.
Museo Nicolis dell’auto, della tecnica e della meccanica
It is not a traditional museum but rather a spectacular and ultra-modern container of culture and ideas. It is called “Museo Nicolis dell’Auto, della Tecnica, della Meccanica”, inaugurated in 2000 in Villafranca di Verona, created by Luciano Nicolis, a Veronese entrepreneur, who brought here his great passion for technique and mechanics.
It is one of the most prestigious private museums in Italy and Europe. Open to various forms of innovation and experimentation, it is a lively promoter of culture and a point of attraction for the entire territory.
The museum tells, through hundreds of cars, motorcycles and bicycles, the evolution of the means of transport of the last two centuries. But there is much more in this museum-not-museum: cameras and writing machines, musical instruments, objects that cannot be found.
Opera festival in Arena
The Arena di Verona is considered the largest open air opera theater in the world: the Roman amphitheater built in the 1st century A.D. has a seating capacity of 13.500 persons and hosts over 500,000 spectators each season.
On August 10, 1913, to mark the centenary of Giuseppe Verdi’s birth, an opera was staged in the amphitheater for the first time: Aida. Since then Aida has become the Arena’s best loved opera and the most staged title in the history of the Festival.
The Arena di Verona has hosted the most famous artists in the world in its grandiose settings and in 2013, it celebrated its first 100 years of the Opera Festival.
With the Arena open air Festival, the Italian and international culture was enriched in a new way of performing, a characteristic which has contributed to render Verona one of the musical capitals of the world.
