Peschiera del Garda

Peschiera del Garda, which the Romans called Arilica, is the first village in the province of Verona after the Brescia lakeshore, located in a strategic position boasting both splendid views over Lake Garda and excellent traffic links, at the exact point where the River Mincio flows away from the lake towards the Mantua plain.

 
The present-day structure of the town still reflects its origins as a citadel, surrounded on all sides by canals and robust defensive walls built around 1553 on the orders of Guidobaldo della Rovere and well preserved to this day. 

 
This is a town that boasts ancient military traditions: during antiquity it saw the passage of the Longobard and Roman armies, as well as those of the peoples from the North, followed later by those of the Visconti and Sforza families and the Republic of Venice, all of whom fought for control of the area.

In the 19th century, the municipalities bordering on Peschiera were the scene of battles with the Habsburg army, which had taken possession of the fortress, now a prison.

In addition to the defensive and military constructions, the town offers interesting examples of civil and religious architecture, such as the parish church of San Martino Vescovo, believed to be one of the oldest churches in the Diocese of Verona, and the sixteenth-century Madonna del Frassino Sanctuary, which attracts thousands of pilgrims.
 

Between Peschiera and Sirmione is the so-called “Lugana” area, famous for the DOC-label wine of the same name that has been made there since 1967.