Lake Garda: New Projects, Boat Checks, and Local Rowing Controversies
Alessandro Pasquini, priest of Portese, a frazione of S. Felice del Benaco, took possession of his new headquarters (Lazise) crossing the lake by boat, escorted by a bissa. Upon reaching the vicinity of the historic Customs building, he was handed over and escorted by two «Venetian» boats. After raising oars as a greeting, Don Alessandro disembarked and met with Mayor Luca Sebastiano, who presented him with the Millennio medal. Cheers from the crowd gathered on the pier, music from the band, and the sound of bells.
In church, during the solemn mass, the voices of the Schola Cantorum. On the altar, during the offertory, oil, wine, bread, and fish were brought, the typical products of the Riviera. The Bagnini of Sns, the Società Nazionale di Salvamento (about fifty in total, including seven girls), gathered in Peschiera to take stock of the season. Director Nicola Soliman recalled the numerous interventions carried out during the summer from Malcesine to Sirmione (ten of which proved crucial in saving the lives of as many people on the verge of drowning).
Installation of lookout tower and controls on the Veronese bank
On the beach of the Belvedere lido, in S. Benedetto di Lugana, the first observation tower was installed, deemed necessary to monitor a good stretch of lake. Present attendees remembered diver Adriano Busato, a diving instructor who died in the waters of Malcesine a few weeks ago. A statue will be dedicated to him.
Seized boats. The boat team of the Peschiera Carabinieri resumed checks to verify the legality of buoys and moorings along the Veronese shoreline. The target was a broad section, up to Castelletto di Brenzone. A German, a Frenchman (who had parked a speedboat in a canal), a Milanese, a Veronese, and a… six-meter boat without an engine, all ended up in trouble.
Just like with cars and tow trucks, the seized boats were taken to Lazise, available to the owners. A specialized company, this being the innovation, won the tender to carry out the removal service, which allows the mooring to be cleared and returned to the owner. Those responsible for violations risk criminal charges and fines ranging from two to twelve million lire.
In some locations, waiting lists are extremely long, and it takes years to obtain a water space. As a result, many resort to makeshift solutions. Consequently, the number of illegal buoys outside ports has increased.
Skirmishes among the bisse
Gianfranco De Iseppi, president of Ichtya, which for the third consecutive year won the Palio delle bisse, did not participate in the final ceremony in Sirmione as a protest. In an interview, he attacked Brescia’s Franco Poli, president of the Lega, the association that unites all rowing clubs.
«Even if it’s true that the championship costs 200 million lire, those who say so are talking nonsense – declared De Iseppi. – Essentially, all expenses fall on the dozen or so members of the Group, who are sponsored and supported by their respective municipal administrations. Before asking for more money to balance the books, it would be more just to put the accounts on the table.
Ruggero Boschi and the Aril. The shortest river in the world, Aril, just 172 meters long, has become an attraction. It begins from a spring near the state road, in Malcesine, and immediately flows into the lake. Thousands of foreign tourists, prompted by guides, go to take a look.
In summer, the blooming of marsh marigolds (a protected species in many European countries, which needs temperatures between 13 and 15 degrees to survive) makes it resemble a green carpet. Among other attractions, we mention the upstream migration of trout, which find the ideal environment here for reproduction, and the nativity scene created during the Christmas period.
However, the amount of «ranunculus fluitans» and the bad smell it emits have caused discomfort and protests from residents nearby. A drastic pruning was therefore necessary, carried out after consulting botanists and Verona’s Superintendent, Ruggero Boschi, a former official from Brescia, who strongly recommended protecting the natural heritage.
Others, like biologist Daniele Zanini, defend the marsh marigold and argue that the odors are due to pollution.
