Last Sunday, the MAG hosted a guided visit tracing the Ripa Romana, the Latin-era thermal complex that once stood in Riva del Garda on viale Roma. Guided by Silvia Delugan, the tour reconstructed the city’s Roman past through artefacts still kept in the museum, focusing in particular on a remarkable marble basin (labrum) decorated with plant and animal motifs, originally located within the thermal complex.
For the Romans of Riva, the baths were a real meeting point for building relationships and relaxing together, serving both health and hygiene purposes and providing opportunities for conversation and business. The route was once lined with refined stucco and frescoed walls, with floors covered in mosaics. The sauna featured the marble basin at the center of its apsidal area, while a courtyard with a covered corridor had an artificial water basin, possibly used for water-themed play, and an open space to the rear allowed for walks and gym exercises. The baths were used by both men and women at set times, and the complex was abandoned in the second half of the 3rd century AD before later being occupied for residential purposes.
For the European Heritage Days, the MAG will be open with reduced admission on 26 and 27 September from 10:00 to 18:00. Visitors can explore the Pinacoteca, the archaeological heritage, and the museum’s History section, and they will also be able to see the exhibition “Visitate il Garda. Grafica e promozione dalla Belle Époque al turismo moderno”. The accessibility route inaugurated in 2026 will allow the museum to be enjoyed with all five senses, and booking is not required. On 27 September at 20:00, the Intermittenze festival brings a music-and-literature dialogue to Riva del Garda: at the MAG, a theatrical guided tour of “Visitate il Garda” will alternate descriptions of historic posters with the voice of actor Nicola Sordo, who will read literary quotations linked to experiences of notable artists and writers who visited the Garda area. The event is free and does not require booking.
Italian Version
