Lake Garda: History & Myths
Latest Stories
The History of Terme di Sirmione: The Interwar Period
The transition period between the two World Wars saw Sirmione gain popularity as a spa resort, thanks to the combination of excellent therapeutic results and the natural beauty of the location. However, it also had to face economic difficulties related to the devaluation of the Lira and a period of stagnation. In 1938, following extensive…
Radio Popolare Lonato: Year Zero (Part 1)
By Roberto Darra It was August 18, 1976, when a new sound burst onto the airwaves in Lonato. It was not a RAI broadcast, but a private radio station broadcasting music and news from a garage in Via Ludovico Ariosto. After numerous preparatory meetings at the bakery of the brothers Franco, Giordano, and Ezio Stuani,…
A Testimony of Hope from the Sanctuary of San Polo
Good day to everyone. Today I would like to share, in a few simple words from the bottom of my heart, my personal testimony and what I received from this place. I prefer to remain anonymous because this is a delicate subject for me, one that almost no one knows about, but which I would…
The Compagnia de Riultèla: 30 Years of Success
Making theater that makes people laugh, offering carefree hours, is the specialty of the Compagnia de Riultèla, which celebrates 30 years of activity this year. A long history that has seen numerous actors and collaborators succeed one another, always with a focus on dialect theater. These years have also been marked by the difficulty of…
The Aloisian Year: Historical Sites to Visit in Castiglione delle Stiviere
The Aloisian Historical Museum The museum dedicated to Saint Aloysius (San Luigi) is located in the College of the Virgins of Jesus (Collegio delle Vergini di Gesù). This institution was founded on June 21, 1608, by Cinzia, Olimpia, and Gridonia—daughters of Rodolfo, the brother to whom Aloysius had surrendered his birthright. Inspired by their uncle,…
The Dynamics of Lake Garda: Water Turnover and Climate Change
After 20 years, a phenomenon has occurred in Lake Garda that deserves to be better understood, precisely because it illustrates how dynamic, alive, fascinating, and resilient a lake environment can be. Lake Garda (or Benaco), as an oligomictic lake, falls into this category: a lake that only “occasionally” mixes its entire water column from top…
Other Stories
Roman Ruins in Toscolano: History and Archaeological Discoveries
The first discoveries of Roman remains near the port of Toscolano date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. These findings were significant enough to inspire local poets to feed the legend of the fabulous city of “Benaco,” which was supposedly destroyed by an earthquake in 243 AD and subsequently submerged by the lake’s waters….
Budibà Presents Puppets: Tartaglia, the Mask That Never Finishes a Sentence
His name immediately recalls his most obvious trait: Tartaglia is the mask that stutters (tartaglia in Italian). The question is inevitable: did the mask name the verb, or was it the other way around? It appears the verb “tartagliare” (to stutter/stammer) is older than the theatrical character. Thus, the mask, which appeared in the Commedia…
Kurt Erich von Suckert, alias Malaparte: A Maledetto Toscano (Part 3)
We conclude with the excerpt titled “The Widows” (Le vedove), which contains observations on social customs that may seem outdated today but remain partly valid. My “Battibecco” column on that difficult profession of being a widow earned me a hundred letters from widows all over Italy. Not all, of course, poisoned their husbands with rat…
When Goethe Arrived on Lake Garda: Goethe in the Footsteps of Winckelmann
In 1765, at the age of sixteen, Goethe followed his father’s wishes and studied Law in Leipzig, Saxony. In truth, he would have preferred to study Classical Literature in Göttingen. To distract himself from his studies, he read widely, visited the theater, and spent time with artists and writers. He met the painter and sculptor…
Salò and Music: The Garda Music Summer
Salò has been hosting a musical event since 1958 that has achieved national acclaim over time: the Garda Music Summer (Estate Musicale del Garda). I would like to offer the readers of GN a summary of the history of this festival. I must begin by saying that, through a meticulous year-long effort, I have narrated…
Cantrina: Where Stone Walls Whisper Ancient Stories
A hilltop hamlet where time slows down and memories of a resilient past linger in the air. Location: Cantrina (Bedizzole) | Era: 1950s – Present | Reading Time: 4 Minutes The Lead: Just two kilometers from the main town, the hamlet of Cantrina sits atop the highest hill, revealing itself past the “Roccolo” curve. It…
