
Sirmione, Italy
According to GROWTHEOLOGY.COM, the west coast of Lake Garda is called Riviera Bresciana. There are sandy beaches surrounded by olive and citrus trees and vineyards. The famous rosé wines Grapello and Chiaretto have been produced here since the 16th century. The main resort of Riviera Bresciana is Gardone Riviera, which at the end of the 19th century was the most popular resort of the entire lake. The city has a wide promenade with restaurants and cafes and picturesque gardens, among which there are villas and luxury hotels.. Of the attractions of Gardone Riviera, one can single out the Botanical Gardens and the estate of Il Vittorale, where the most extravagant writer of the 20th century and the famous fascist leader Gabriel d’Annunzio lived. In the vicinity of Gardone Riviera is the ancient Venetian city of Salo, which became famous in 1943 after the fall of the fascist regime in Italy, when Mussolini, who was hiding from punishment, proclaimed it the center of the Italian Socialist Republic. Nearby is the village of Jargnano – the most popular place on the lake among sailing enthusiasts, the Centomilia sailing regatta is held here every year. And to the north along the coast stretches the Riviera Limone – the edge of citrus plantations.
West of Lake Garda, it is worth visiting the medieval city of Brescia. Brescia is the second largest city in Lombardy, a major industrial and commercial center. Brescia was founded by the Gauls and later developed into one of the largest centers of northern Italy under the Romans. The remains of Roman buildings and many medieval buildings have survived to this day in the city. There are four squares in the center of the Old Town of Brescia: Piazza del Mercato, Piazza della Vittoria, Piazza della Loggia and Piazza Paolo VI. The most interesting square is Piazza Paolo VI. This is one of the few squares in Italy, where you will see two cathedrals at once: the Romanesque Duomo Vecchio or Rotunda (12th century) and the Duomo Nuovo (17th-19th centuries). The Rotunda houses the sarcophagi of the archbishops and works by artists such as Moretto, Romanino, Palma the Younger and Maffei. The canvases of these artists adorn the interior of the Duomo Nuovo. The Duomo Novo is known for being the third highest dome in Italy.. Near the cathedrals rises the city hall of Broletto from the 12th century and the oldest tower of the city, Torro del Popolo (11th century). In the nearby Renaissance Piazza della Loggia, the 15th-century City Hall (Torre dell’Orologio) is worth a look. A little to the east is Piazza del Foro, where the most significant Roman buildings of the entire region have been preserved. Here you can see the Forum and the Capitoline Temple, built under the emperor Vespasian in 73 AD. You can learn about the history of Roman Brescia in the City Museum, located nearby in the building of the monastery of Santa Giulia. Archaeological finds from prehistoric times to the Roman period are exhibited here, including mosaics and statues, as well as the cross of the last Lombard king Desiderius from the 8th century AD, encrusted with hundreds of precious stones. A little to the north, on the top of the Tsydney Hill, from where the whole city is visible, as if in the palm of your hand, stands the Tsydney Castle. The castle was built in the 12th century on the site of a Roman temple. This is a real citadel with towers, ramparts and moats. Now it houses the Risorgimento Museum, which tells about the history of the unification Italy from the era of Venetian rule until the 1870s, and the Museum of Weapons. The park surrounding the castle is a favorite place for relaxation of the inhabitants of Brescia. In addition, the churches of Brescia are of interest: the Romanesque church of San Francesco of the 13th century with frescoes by Romanino, the Renaissance Santa Maria dei Miracoli, and Sant Nazario i Celso, which contains the altar polyptych “The Resurrection of Christ” by Titian. Be sure to visit the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, which exhibits works by painters of the 13th-18th centuries, including works by Romanino, Foppa, Moretto, Savoldo, Raphael, Tintoretto and Lotto.
South of Lake Garda, the medieval city of Mantua is interesting., whose historic center with masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Mantua was founded by the Etruscans in the 10th century BC and later became the center of Roman colonization of northern Italy. In 70 B.C. in the suburbs of Mantua, one of the greatest ancient Roman poets, Virgil, was born. The heyday of the city fell on the reign of the Gonzaga dynasty (14-18 centuries), at which time Mantua became the center of art, and the architectural monuments built under Gonzaga still attract tourists here. The most interesting square is Piazza Sordello. Here rises the palace of the Palazzo Ducale (14th century) – the main residence of the Gonzaga rulers. The palace complex includes three squares, 15 courtyards, a vast park and more than 500 rooms. The interior of the palace is decorated with magnificent paintings, including frescoes by Andrea Mantegna (15th century). Opposite the Palazzo Ducale is the Mantua Cathedral (14-18 centuries). Be sure to head to the 1472 Basilica of San Andrea. This is one of the main creations of the architect Alberti. Alberti gave Mantua another no less remarkable church – the church of San Sebastian. It is also worth taking a walk along Piazza Erbe, where the Palazzo della Ragione (13-15th century) and the round Rotunda of St. Lawrence (11th century) are located. Other architectural monuments of Mantua include the church of St. Francis (early 14th century) and the Palazzo del Te (16th century) by Romano.