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Gargnano

Gargnano has existed since the days of Rome. In 973, after the barbarian invasions, it was transferred to the Cathedral of Verona by the Bishop Eriprado. With the arrival of St. Francesco on the Garda lake, his followers built a convent in Gargnano, in XII century. Later in 1280, they built a church with a beautiful portal dedicated to St. Francesco. It was built with the material of a pre-existing Romanesque church. In 1331 Giovanni of Bohemia gave Gargnano to the family Castelbarco. During Venetian rule, from 1427 to 1797, Gargnano joined the "Magnifica Patria" becoming the capital of a group of different towns. The '700 was a very interesting period for Gargnano, thanks to the Bettoni family, who built a splendid villa there. The Feltrinellis provided the construction of the hospital, of the children's nursery schools and of other charitable works. The two Feltrinelli's villas have hosted Mussolini and his government of the "Republic of Salò".

The English writer D.H. Lawrence also stayed for a long period. In many of his works we can find many marks of the landscape and the inhabitants of Gargnano and fractions.
This is one of the reasons why each year, the FAI, in cooperation with the Foundation CAB (Credito Agrario Bresciano), organize a splendid event in spring, which attract many visitors. The garden of delight, displays domestic plants and rare flowers.

The garden of Palazzo Bettoni Cazzago is distinguished from the others for the refinement and the cultural message that it sends. it takes care of promote the study and protection of the ancient lake gardens. Moreover it pays careful attention to new trends in landscapes and to the preservation of rare species. It offers visitors the opportunity to admire a large quantity of flowering plants, fruit plants and herbs, from topiary (the art of pruning plants following geometric shapes) and shade plants, grown and made for the occasion from the largest producers and farmers. During the three days of opening, the FAI has more than twenty volunteers for the visit of the eighteenth century garden, that reaches high levels of excellence and therefore attracts enthusiasts from all around the world.

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Palazzo Feltrinelli

Villa Feltrinelli is situated few hundred meters north of Gargnano and represents the most important building of the town, from an historical point of view.
It was built between 1892 and 1899; its design has been attributed by some to Solmi Francis and others, to Alberico Belgiojoso.
It is situated in a magnificent park, surrounded by other buildings that, in the past, were used as the residence of the keepers and farmers, who handle stalls and lemon.
The part of the villa which face the lake is the most magnificent, while the park behind the building includes valuable trees. Between October 1943 and April 1945, Villa Feltrinelli was the residence of Benito Mussolini, who lived with the family.
Now the building is a Hotel.

Photo Palazzo Feltrinelli

Villa Bettoni

The construction of the building began in the first years of the XVIII century and it was based upon the project of Arch. Cristofori.
The main body of the great mansion comprises a ground floor and three floors and is embellished by a balustrade with stone statues.
At the centre of the building the great hall that separates the wings of the villa. At each end of the building there are two bridges that connect it to the garden on the other side of the road. The spectacular garden was designed by Amerigo Vincenzo Pierallini at the end of XVIII century and it was created using the pre-existent axial system. He had mantained the great exedra but he created a new monumental perspective in which was enclosed also the nymph grotto of the 17th century. The lemon greenhouses, which framed the garden, are also a key component of it.

www.palazzofeltrinelli.it

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Lemons

What are those tall pillars up to the sky, all in a row, enclosed on three sides by walls of white stone? They are the remains of the lemon gardens and, two centuries ago, Goethe wrote: "We pass in front of Lemoni, whose gardens and terraces planted with lemons, are rich and beautiful ..."

(from 'trip to Italy,' 1786).

Poetically called "gardens", the lemon houses were originated in the thirteenth century, when the cultivation of citrus fruits was introduced on the Garda. These characteristic large greenhouses were built to protect the valuable plantations from the possible rigors of winter. The Garda lake became the area of production of citrus fruits for commercial purposes in the northest part of the world. It was very prosperous period for the economy of the lake which saw the cultivation of citrus fruit become a huge industry. It now seeks to recover and preserve this heritage, to reflect the historical-cultural traditions and the people of the lake.

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Villa Feltrinelli

Villa Feltrinelli is situated few hundred meters north of Gargnano and represents the most important building of the town, from an historical point of view.
It was built between 1892 and 1899; its design has been attributed by some to Solmi Francis and others, to Alberico Belgiojoso.
It is situated in a magnificent park, surrounded by other buildings that, in the past, were used as the residence of the keepers and farmers, who handle stalls and lemon.The part of the villa which face the lake is the most magnificent, while the park behind the building includes valuable trees. Between October 1943 and April 1945, Villa Feltrinelli was the residence of Benito Mussolini, who lived with the family.
Now the building is a Hotel.

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The Riviera dei Limoni is within the Parco Alto Garda Bresciano

Normally, natural parks are situated in areas substantially homogeneous and predominantly of naturalistic interest. The Parco Altogardesano is characterized by strong contrasts in altitude (ranging from 65 meters of the coast to almost 2,000 of the highest peaks), climate, vegetation, social and economic issues.
The landscape is characterized by environmental changes: blue water and green hills to Gargnano, then the horizontal plane of the lake and the verticality of the cliffs into the lake, the fluidity of moving water and the hardness rough rock.

Lake and mountains, alpine atmosphere and Mediterranean flavors are the two elements that define the geography of the Alto Garda Bresciano, and make it a unique territory. The Mediterranean scenary of the coastal strip passes, in just a few kilometers, a typical alpine environment, made up of the mass of Giudicarie. Despite the variety of habitats that preserves it, the Park is a homogeneous environment and organic, closely related to the presence of the mass of water of Lake Garda.

www.parcoaltogarda.net

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