In the Heart of Summer
Welcome to the heart of the summer season on Lake Garda. With the arrival of July, our lake lights up with a vibrant, intense glow, while the Pèler breeze caresses the shores and accompanies the warm days of a season now in its full splendor. It is the time when the region reveals all its beauty and extraordinary cultural vitality.
This issue celebrates several major milestones linked to our environment and territory. Sirmione proudly celebrates the renewal of the prestigious 2026 Blue Flag for Jamaica Beach, an award that recognizes the daily care of the shoreline, the accessibility of services, and the protection of the lake’s natural heritage.
Art and history merge in a fascinating journey through different eras. We tell you about the monumental relocation of Domenico Ghidoni’s Lions, which after four years in Brescia have reached their permanent home in the park of the Rocca in Lonato del Garda. In Toscolano-Maderno, we rediscover the Roman ruins of the villa of the Nonii Arrii, while in Salò we trace the origins and glories of the Garda Music Summer, the historic concert series founded in 1958. There is also room for the traditional masks of the Commedia dell’Arte and a new, sharp installment of Curzio Malaparte’s biography, focusing on his biting reflections on the role of widows in Italian and European society. A suggestive literary piece is dedicated to Goethe’s travels and memories on Lake Garda during this time of the year, reminding us how deeply our shores have always fascinated and inspired Europe’s greatest intellectuals.
July’s pages also feature local reports and wellness advice. Regarding infrastructure, we report on the TAV tunnel works in Lonato, with the closing of the sinkhole that suspended local traffic, alongside a fascinating history of the Brescia-Verona railway pioneers. For nature lovers, the “Green Witch” shares her advice on the therapeutic properties of Echinacea, while we invite you to discover the summer blooms and children’s events in the stunning setting of Parco Giardino Sigurtà.
We wish you a wonderful read, perhaps accompanied by the gentle sound of the lake and the verses dedicated to the Pèler wind.
Happy July to everyone!
Luca Delpozzo
Read more from GN Magazine – July 2026
The History of Terme di Sirmione: The Interwar Period
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Radio Popolare Lonato: Year Zero (Part 1)
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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
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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…
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…
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…
The Monumental Lions by Ghidoni Relocate to Lonato del Garda
The “PTM Round Trip” project concludes: the sculptures leave Piazza Moretto in Brescia to find their permanent home in the park of the Rocca. After nearly four years standing guard at the entrance of the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo in Piazza Moretto, the monumental Lions by sculptor Domenico Ghidoni have left the city of Brescia. Their…
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….
July at the Parco Giardino Sigurtà: Blooms, Events, and Promotions
Following a festive spring visit, I am pleased to offer suggestions for visiting the Parco Giardino Sigurtà in July, where spectacular summer blooms renew: roses, water lilies, lotus flowers, hydrangeas, medicinal plants, echinacea, daylilies, and water hyacinths brighten the 60 hectares of greenery, creating ever-changing landscapes. The charm of nature is enriched by wellness events—the…
The TAV Tunnel Sinkhole in Lonato Closes
On June 3rd, the first experimental run of a train took place on the TAV tracks laid at the bottom of the massive excavation site (under the “Campagna” bridge in Lonato). For a couple of years, the site was dominated by the so-called “tunnel boring machine” (TBM)—an enormous machine that excavated the railway tunnels at…
The Green Witch: Echinacea
The warm July sun brings us into the height of summer, where the sweet and frantic song of the cicadas accompanies our days in nature. Given the high temperatures, I chose to talk about a very rustic plant for this month. It tolerates heat and drought very well, yet it can also survive down to…
GN Magazine – July 2026
Welcome to the digital edition of GN Magazine – July 2026. Here you will find the complete English translations of the main articles published in the print edition, bringing the history, culture, and events of Lake Garda to our international readers. July 2026 Articles Select an article below to read the full translation: Share this…
Kurt Erich von Suckert, alias Malaparte: A Maledetto Toscano (Part 3)
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A History of Trains and Railway Workers
Changes in the railways at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. Dear Luigi, when a century is about to end, ushering in a new millennium, events often occur that disrupt the normal course of things. The final years of the 20th century, when Italian Lire still circulated, marked the maturity of my working…
A Centenary to Remember: The Union of Rivoltella and Desenzano in 1926
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The Abbey of Maguzzano: A Haven of Peace and Spirituality
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Sirmione Retains the Blue Flag
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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…
