GUIDE / GARDONE RIVIERA / FLOWERS AND FASCISM

In northern Italy, a series of large lakes dominate the landscape, each and every one with its own myths and legends. Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano are all on the list of must-visit-destinations of every traveller planning a trip to Italy. Large mansions with impeccable gardens, old, traditional vineyards and lake boat tours are all images of what to expect when visiting this part of the world. But of all the lakes, Lake Garda is perhaps the most famous. With an area of 369.98 km2, Lago di Garda (as it’s known in Italian) is Italy’s largest lake and the third-largest in the Alps, surpassed only by Lake Constance and Lake Geneva. Because of its notable size, Lake Garda has many different personalities and can appear vastly different depending on which part you visit.

Garda’s south side, with an almost Mediterranean feel, is the most popular among tourists in high season, especially for those travelling with children. The narrow northern stretch, with its steep fjord-like banks, is the preferred spot among windsurfers. The middle of the lake, on the western shore, and especially the 20-kilometre stretch from Salò in the south to Gargnano in the north, is known for its pleasant microclimate, which has attracted wealthy and prominent visitors for hundreds of years. On this route lies the small community Gardone Riviera, historically considered the most renowned town on this coastline. The small island in the middle of the lake is located almost across from the town, and most hotels will be happy to make accommodations for private boat trips on the lake or to nearby towns such as San Michele, Riva del Garda or Salò.

Cineastes will immediately recognize the name Salò from “Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom” the infamous 1975 horror film by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Loosely based on the novel The 120 Days of Sodom by Marquis de Sade, as well as inspired by the structure of Dante’s Divina Comedia, Pasolini transformed the story of sexual sadism to a commentary on the corruption and evilness of the fascist Republic of Salò (in Italian, Republica Sociale Italiana or RSI). The RSI lasted between 1943 and 1945, from the beginning of German occupation of Italy to the complete surrender of German troops. It was a German puppet state and the last incarnation of the Italian fascist state, led by Benito Mussolini. It was based in the idyllic town by Lake Garda, the beauty of the landscape a stark contrast to the aggressiveness of fascist ideology.

One of the most lavish hotels in the region (or for that matter, the world) is Grand Hotel Feltrinelli in Gargnano, once home to Mussolini and his family, as well as to 30 SS officers stationed in the cellar, ordered to keep close watch on the Italian leader, so that he wouldn’t undermine German forces in Italy. Down the road from the hotel lies the Art Nouveau mansion Villa Fiordaliso, today a boutique hotel with an excellent restaurant, but in the 1940s home to Mussolini’s mistress Clara Petacci. When Donna Rachele Mussolini discovered the arrangement, she had Petacci moved from the villa and to a house in the nearby Il Vittoriale degli Italiani (in English: The shrine of Italian victories”), but the villa remains, as does the high tower in its garden, built in neo-gothic style towards the end of the 19th century, but bought and transformed into a private dock in the 1920s. The tower is also where Mussolini and Petacci would have their intimate tête–à–tête encounters from November 1943 to October 1944.

Il Vittoriale is, as evident by its name, a strange place. Planned by the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, in many ways the godfather of fascism, it celebrates Italian victories and culture, from a nationalist perspective. Financed by Mussolini and set in a vast hillside, it contains a residence laid out in dark rooms with stain-glassed windows, it contains animal skins, memorabilia, bric-a-brac and artworks, both original and copied. Its massive gardens contain a huge amphitheatre, a reassembled battleship, D’Annuzio’s own anti-submarine vessel and a mausoleum.

The area's other major attraction is the Giardino Botanico Fondazione André Heller, a beautiful garden that was founded by Arthus Hruska in 1910 and is today run by Andre Heller's foundation. Here you can wander among the flowers and see a wide selection of plants and sparkling fountains. The garden also includes approximately 30 modern sculptures by internationally renowned artists, such as Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Rudolf Hirt, Fernand Léger, Joan Mirò and Auguste Rodin.

¨This side of the lake is known as the “Riviera dei Limoni”, as it is full of luscious camphor trees and oleanders, bougainvillea and lemon trees.¨

For more than a hundred years, Gardone Riviera has been reputed to the be most sophisticated town on Lake Garda, a legacy that clearly shows in the lines of lavish buildings and stylish hotels. There are two main religious buildings; the parish church of San Nicolò da Bari (on Via dei Caduti 26), decorated with frescoes and with three medallions on the vault, attributed to the famous local artist Francesco Monti. The other is the charming Evangelical Lutheran Church, located near the Vittoriale, characterized by an unusual neo-Gothic architecture and a lovely garden with a view of the lake. This side of the lake is known as the “Riviera dei Limoni” (English: “Lemon Trees Riviera”), as it is full of luscious camphor trees and oleanders, bougainvillea and lemon trees.

Villa Alba (Corso Giuseppe Zanardelli, 73) is a prime example of Greek architecture, with a majestic façade with colonnade and pediment decorated in the style of the Parthenon. Initially named Villa Ruhland, it is set in a large and luxuriant garden. During the occupation, it was a Nazi broadcasting centre, but today it is used for conferences and events. Not far from the villa is the Lungolago D’Annunzio, an elegant promenade that stretches along the side of the lake, with many restaurants, cafés and bars. At night, the stillness of the lake makes a perfect view to a dinner or glass of wine.

¨Here, you will find a labyrinth of buildings, staircases and verdant courtyards, with a calmer atmosphere, more relaxed vibe and less touristic restaurants. ¨

Many like to explore the charming historic city centre, Gardone Sopra, a few minutes by foot away from the lake, in the direction of Il Vittoriale, up the hillside. Here, you will find a labyrinth of buildings, staircases and verdant courtyards, with a calmer atmosphere, more relaxed vibe and less touristic restaurants.