New Bronze Age Finds at Desenzano’s Lavagnone, but the Site Faces Risk

Excavations at the “Lavagnone” site in Desenzano del Garda have uncovered a settlement from the Late Early Bronze Age, dated to between 1800 and 1600 BC, during a field campaign run by the University of Milan from June 30 to July 31, 2026. Led by archaeologist Marta Rapi, the work involved professional archaeologists and 14 students, bringing to light raised structures, pottery, animal remains, and an almost complete gynaecomorphic vessel, which will be delivered to the Rambotti Museum after restoration.

The campaign resumed after a two-year halt in 2024 and 2025, when the basin had turned into a pond. The UNESCO-listed site since 2011 is now threatened by repeated cycles of drought, flooding, and subsequent drying, which risk damaging the finds. The excavation team calls for coordinated monitoring involving the regional heritage office (Soprintendenza), the municipality, and the university, alongside restoring the natural water outflow, including through cleaning existing channels.
Italian Version