Archaeology-Inspired Multi-Thematic Park Proposed for Garda Area
The administrators of the riviera and inland areas have been inspired by a new passion: archaeology. During a recent meeting in the council chamber of Garda, representatives of the hosting center (Mayor Giorgio Comencini and Fabio Gaggia) and neighboring municipalities of Lazise, Bardolino, Cavaion Veronese, Costermano, and Torri (respectively Sergio Marconi, Romano Brusco, Giancarlo Sabaini, Fiorenzo Lorenzini, and Alberto Vedovelli) expressed their willingness to create an innovative multi-thematic park centered around archaeological research.
Professor Gian Pietro Brogiolo, the archaeologist leading research on the Rocca and nearby areas under the Adelaide ’99 project funded by the municipalities of Garda and Bardolino and the Verona provincial administration, explained the proposal. Also present were Alessandra Aspes, director of the Natural History Museum of Verona; Luciano Salzani, inspector of the Archaeological Superintendency; and Marco Zaninelli, commissioner of the tourism promotion company of the Riviera degli Olivi.
The project and opportunities for enhancement
What makes Professor Brogiolo’s plan so captivating? “In this area,” explained the archaeologist, “there are the premises to move from research to the enhancement of the historical heritage, involving that 20-30 percent of tourism sensitive to local cues. We are used to thinking of an archaeological park as a closed structure with set visiting hours, but here we aim for an open park through a project that can be implemented in segments, with shared participation from the public and private sectors.”
For example, the enhancement of the Rocca could include restoring medieval walls, creating an archaeological trail, and designing routes based on the environment, archaeology, or World War I galleries. Other routes might pass through historic centers: “In Bardolino, Garda, Torri, and Lazise, there are medieval buildings that, once restored, have no comparison in terms of quantity and quality with other areas of Verona Province,” Brogiolo observed.
A route could focus on rock carvings between Garda and Torri. Another possibility involves a multimedia reconstruction of the area’s layout during Roman times—an era for which significant remains still exist locally. Then, there are religious itineraries, or routes of naturalistic interest, culminating in enogastronomic attractions.
Local officials expressed general consensus. Will this park be established? We’ll see: there is much to be done, particularly to involve private stakeholders. Meanwhile, we recall at least Romano Brusco’s comment, who mentioned that the Adelaide ’99 project has made it possible to see Garda and Bardolino side by side, reversing old local tensions: “I must admit that, being a good Bardolino native,” he joked, “I’ve always found it difficult to cross the border. Perhaps it’s a miracle of Santa Adelaide that brought us together.”
