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"Pearl of the peninsulas
and of the isle". This is how Catullo defined Sirmione, this
small peninsula south of lake Garda. This area has a great history
and splendid landscapes to which many poets and writers have dedicated
their verses. Today Sirmione still keeps many remains of its ancient history; first among these is the grandiose Roman villa known as "Grotte di Catullo" dating back to the beginning of the 1st century, which a writer from Verona attributed to Caio Valerio Catullo. In the remains of the splendid roman villa there is the Antiquarium: a museum showing the general plan of the villa and the photographic evidence of excavations, restoration works and particularly interesting discoveries: floor mosaics, bronze and ceramics objects, fragments of stucco and frescos, a sculpture representing the head of one of the "Sioscuri", and other findings. Near the "Grotte di Catullo" there is a very beautiful church called "San Pietro in Mavino", of Lombard origin. The church has one nave and medieval frescos featuring Christ as a judge, the crucifixion and the Madonna with child. Around the XIII century the "Rocca Scaligera" was built on the remains of an ancient Roman fortification. The Scaglieri family was commissioned to construct it by Venice in return for conserving the feud. The Castle, which has been restored recently, is particularly interesting. One of the two drawbridges spanning the moat in front is the only connection between the two sides of Sirmione. From the main tower, which is 47 metres high, it is possible to appreciate the fantastic landscape of lake Garda. . . |
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