Reviving Garda’s Historic Taverns: Wine, Music, and Cultural Heritage
There were five taverns in the town in the early 20th century: All’Antica Torre, Stella Polare, Osteria Vapore, Marinaio, and Tre Corone. This was documented by the German journalist Hans Barth, author of «Osterie. Spiritual Guide to Italian Taverns from Verona to Capri», with a preface by Gabriele D’Annunzio.
It was actually in a Garda tavern that Riccardo Bacchelli met the Veronese poet Berto Barbarani. Today, little remains of the heritage of the ancient Garda taverns. The Marinaio is now a restaurant. Only the iron sign hanging on Corso Vittorio Emanuele remains of Tre Corone.
The names of the other three have been lost. But luckily, something is stirring. Thanks to two passionate enthusiasts of conviviality, Mauro Fiorentini and Patrizia Garneri. They took over the old tavern, near the western gate of the historic center, renaming it Can e Gato and transforming it into a wine bar where wine culture, jazz, cabaret, and some literary debates are cultivated.
Browsing the program often reveals some surprises. For example, on Tuesday, January 16, there will be a presentation of South African wines. On February 6, there is what Mauro and Patrizia rightly call a «great preview»: even the unfamiliar Chinese wines are featured.
Events and music at Can e Gato
Every Wednesday evening features jazz with the Sabrina Bighignoli quartet, and on Thursdays, there’s the cabaret of Lupi della ppp… stecca, a band composed of Ottavio Giacopuzzi, Fabrizio De Togni, and Enrico Terragnoli. Mauro and Patrizia also wrote a song for their trio.
«It’s not about the distance, at Can e Gato you find brotherhood» says the Italian-Veronese tune. They will perform it tonight. Probably Giacopuzzi, De Togni, and Terragnoli don’t know it, but their anthem is not the first dedicated to a tavern in Garda.
In the 1950s, Luciano Beretta, lyricist for Celentano and other big names in light music, and Jan Langosz, conductor of the orchestra at the Sanremo festival, had thought of it. In Garda, their «Lago di Garda gioiello d’Italy» is considered a sort of anthem for the town, but it actually celebrates the glories of the legendary Musical Tavern in the town square by the port.
There, all the VIPs vacationed on the Riviera: Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, for example, or Michelangelo Antonioni and Monica Vitti, cardiac surgeon Christian Barnard, the first to perform a heart transplant, the great Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin, or Domenico Modugno. The lyrics state that «even the Dutch girl returning to her mill, already thinks of coming back here to the tavern to make a toast!». Beretta and Langosz also composed another song, equally popular among the locals, about the tavern.
It’s called the «Valzer del Garda». It says: «If you want to banish boredom, toast at the tavern». Incidentally, the Taverna was also known as the Buseto, because it was truly a sort of hole. Just like how small Can e Gato is today: only fifteen seats, plus a piano. Could it be that Garda is returning to the atmosphere of the old taverns?