Torri del Benaco

TORRI DEL BENACO, a delightful tourist destination in the centre of the “Riviera degli Ulivi”, or Olive Tree Riviera, has preserved intact all the charm of a mediaeval village, visible from afar thanks to the unmistakeable outline of the striking Della Scala Castle, built in 1383 over the foundations of a castle that existed in Longobard times.

The castle houses a historical and ethnographical museum, with exhibits focusing on the traditional economic activities of the upper part of the Garda area, and can be visited throughout.

Inside, visitors can admire ancient ethnographical documents, prehistoric findings, tools used for fishing and olive growing, as well as a citrus fruit hothouse from 1760.

The towers of the Castle offer magnificent views over the Roman port, where fishing was the traditional activity, and of the lake in general, encircled by the mountains on the Brescia side and by the historic centre of Torri.

At the foot of the Castle, the port opens out, forming a semi-circle of charming buildings and churches, including the seventh-century church of San Marco, the fifteenth-century church of the Holy Trinity, and the parish church of San Pietro and San Paolo, dating back to the first half of the 18th century: in each of these churches there are paintings by famous local artists.
 

It is worth remembering that during the Serenissima Republic of Venice, the fifteenth-century Gardesana Palace on the Port hosted the meetings of the “Gardesana dell’acqua“, a federation of 10 municipalities on the Verona side of the lakeshore that was invested with fiscal powers.
 

The development of tourism in the area has made Torri one of the most exclusive spots on the lakeshore, attracting such illustrious visitors as André Gide, Stephen Spender, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Maria Callas, Jacques Piccard and King Juan Carlos of Spain.
 

Lovers of history looking for a holiday in the midst of nature will be sure to enjoy Pai, with its two neighbourhoods, one facing the lake and the other the hills, and the verdant Albisano, offering splendid views over the Garda area. Also worth a visit is Crer, an ancient neighbourhood amid the olive groves.