Archaeological Excavations on Garda Shore Uncover Medieval and Ancient Artifacts
Gian Pietro Brogiolo, professor of medieval archaeology at the Università di Padova, born and living in Polpenazze, where he also ran as a mayoral candidate, provided an overview of the excavations conducted on the Veronese shore of the lake.
“Thanks to the investigations carried out in recent years,” Brogiolo states, “we now have a more precise picture of what happened from an urban development perspective on the Garda fortress from the fifth to the tenth century AD. In addition to a Gothic-era church, with part of the apse and the presbytery’s platform, and the recovery of a stunning mosaic fragment, featuring a spiral made of white and pinkish tesserae, we have traced the foundations of a large public building and a series of private houses, one of which has been entirely excavated, measuring approximately 70 square meters.”
The most credible hypothesis is that these structures were used for strategic-military reasons or to support the palace and the church.
Investigations and findings
Brogiolo is working to understand the old map of the territory. “Our excavations,” he continues, “covered an area of about 500 square meters. The remains of a beautiful fresco and some coins have also been uncovered. Notably, a gold tremisse of the Byzantine emperor Zenon from the fifth century AD and two silver denarii issued by Cremona in the twelfth century and by the Visconti duchy in the fifteenth century. The campaign will continue next year.”
History and future prospects
The fortress, which houses the Camaldolese hermitage, has hosted the first farmers in the pre-Christian period, followed by the aristocracies of the Copper Age and the bearers of the Bell-shaped vessel, then the ancient Veneti, with clay and straw huts. Later, the Barbarian tribes, Longobards, and Franks, the Scaligeri and Ezzelino da Romano, the Visconti and the Venetians, Italians and Austrians.
The coastal municipalities of the area (Garda, Bardolino, Lazise, Torri, Cavaion, and Costermano) have already expressed their willingness to create an innovative multidisciplinary park, centered on Brogiolo’s research.
“There are the prerequisites to enhance the historical heritage, in a way that engages that 20-30 percent of tourists who are sensitive to local attractions,” explained the professor to the mayors. “We are too accustomed to thinking of an archaeological park as a closed structure, open only during specific hours. Instead, here we can focus on an open area, with a project feasible through joint public and private participation.”
The idea is to create a series of itineraries, including the rock carvings between Garda and Torri, the galleries of the Great War, the sanctuaries and churches, the natural environment, the historic centers, and, indeed, the archaeological park itself, through an accurate reconstruction of the settlements.
