LAKESIDE STORY

It’s time to leave the city behind and venture into the tableau of Veneto’s most popular summer resort.

Meet your driver at your accommodation in Verona and relax on the ride to the lakeside town of Sirmione. Here your private guide will be waiting, ready to lead you on an unforgettable tour of Lake Garda’s “pearl of the islands and peninsulas”, as celebrated by ancient Roman poet Catullus. As you access the town over a bridge you will certainly notice the remarkably well-preserved 13th century castle, strategically perched at the edge of the lake from where it safeguards the only entrance to the old town. This rare instance of a medieval port fortification, complete with crenellated turrets and towers, was originally built by the Lords of Verona as a defence against enemy attacks and uprisings. Once a sturdy fortress designed to fend off intruders with its impenetrable walls and surrounding moat, the Castello Scaligero now beckons the visitor to step into the charming streets of Sirmione.

The area is known to have been a fashionable summer hideout since the 1st century BC, when wealthy ancient Romans retreated here, drawn by the glorious climate and healing properties of Sirmione’s thermal springs. More than 2,000 years have gone by but this timeless tourist haven keeps luring guests to its shores with a unique blend of archaeological treasures, glorious landscapes and limpid, refreshing lake waters. While you weave your way through the town’s medieval alleys, lined with tempting eateries and quaint shops, your guide will point out Sirmione’s most noteworthy features, including the late-15th century Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and its precious frescoes.

Not to be missed are the so-called Grottoes of Catullus, the most extensive and striking example of a private Roman villa in northern Italy. Today only a maze of crumbling walls and teetering stone arches survive at the tip of the peninsula, but you are invited to pause and conjure up a stirring image of the luxurious villa that must have stood on this very spot. The mansion, whose construction definitely required sophisticated engineering expertise, once featured long porticoes and terraces overlooking the lake, lavish mosaic decorations, wall paintings and even a private spa.

But it gets even better. In the afternoon, after some free time for lunch, you will have the opportunity to visit a privately owned island dominated by an elegant palazzo, still the home of an aristocratic family. Reach the dock, hop aboard a taxi boat and set sail for Isola del Garda. As you glide along the rippling waters, revel in the sights of deep green slopes and the pastel-hued towns that pepper the lake’s shoreline. Upon arrival, a member of the family will welcome you to this true corner of heaven. One hundred and thirty Gallic-Roman tombstones unearthed here attest to the island’s use as a burial ground in ancient Roman times. In its long history Isola del Garda served as a hideout for pirates, a game reserve, a hermitage, a Franciscan monastery, a school of philosophy and theology and, finally, a splendid residential mansion. Today, the gorgeous Neogothic-Venetian style villa, built between 1890 and 1903, is inhabited by Lady Charlotte Cavazza, three of her seven children and their families, descendants of the Roman Borghese dynasty. Since 2001 the owners have opened portions of the island to the public with the aim of sharing a slice of their compelling family history and way of life with visitors. Your host will show you around the family chapel, two of the villa’s rooms and the magnificently landscaped gardens, blooming with fruit trees, roses, bougainvillea and an array of exotic flowers and plants. Before cruising back to Sirmione enjoy a refreshing aperitivo on a terrace overlooking the lake… raise a glass to the island!

Your private chauffeur will be waiting at the parking area ready to drive you back to Verona after your excursion to Lake Garda.