The 10 Best Castles in Lake Garda, Lake Garda

Nestled amongst the stunning Southern hills of Lake Garda, in the heart of the historical centre of Lonato, lies the home of the Ugo Da Como Foundation with the castle (Rocca Visconteo Veneta) and the house-museum (Casa del Podestà). An evocative visit takes you through the furnished rooms of the house, also to a stunning library filled with a precious ancient book collection. The house is surrounded by splendid private gardens and the last step of the visit takes you up to the Visconti-Venetian fortress, admired by Napoleon.

Together with the lake, one of the characteristic elements of the Garda Trentino landscape is the rock of Arco, dominating the plain of the River Sarca at the point where it widens. Three paths lead to the castle, which was the residence of the Arco Counts in the Middle Ages; they all leave the village and wind through the olive groves in the hills to reach the castle in a few minutes. Beyond the last town-wall is the Prato della Lizza, a green balcony overlooking the Garda Trentino territory at the foot of the three enormous sides of the Torre Grande, the Prigione del Sasso and Sala degli Affreschi, beautifully frescoed with scenes of games of draughts and battles. At the top, the last refuge in the event of siege, stands the Torre Renghera, whose bell, known as the "renga", called the farmfolk to prayer.

Dates back to the 1124 agreement with bishop Altemanno, when the citizens of Riva were granted the right to build a new fortress on the lake shore. The course of history has left its mark on the Rocca which has been altered multiple times. In the early 16 century, it was refurbished to make it a fitting temporary residence of the bishop princes. It underwent a radical transformation in the mid-19th century, when it was turned into an Austro-Hungarian barracks and lost all its medieval and renaissance features. Recent restoration work has revealed some of the original structures and made it a suitable home for the museum. The view from the keep is truly magnificent.

The ruins of Penede Castle surround the colossal rock extending towards Lake Garda above Torbole.Location of a prehistoric construction with walls, maybe a place fortified by the Romans, the castle ist first mentioned in 1210.After having been contended all through the middle age, the castle was sacked in 1703 and set ablaze by the French-Spanish troops of the Duke of Vendôme. The rocky spur of the castle was fortified by the Austrians in 1914 with artillery (80 and 100 caliber) in connection with the fortresses of Nago. This spot enjoys exceptional panoramic view. In the underlying wood we find the ruins of an enormous lime wall (probably a Roman tower) with parts of a staircase in red stone. Clay tiles, Roman coins and pottery were unearthed here, and represent proof of the Roman presence.

The Castle of Desenzano was first built before the year 1000 on the perimeter of an ancient Roman "castrum". It was built as a defensive enclosure to protect the inhabitants of the suburb and to give them shelter from frequent raids of bandits and rival neighbours and from raids of Hungarians. Between 1882 and 1885 the final transformation of the Castle was completed, when, solicited by the town authorities, the inside suburb together with the whole west side of the boundaries was demolished to make place for the barracks "Beretta" in neo-Gothic style. The restoration only consisted in integration of missing elements in walls, cleaning of stone surfaces and improvement of masonries. Under the battlements the rampart walk was reconstructed while, in the inside courtyard, a small arena was built for concerts, demonstrations and the commemoration of historical events.