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Lake
Garda - the poets' paradise
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From
Sirmione, erstwhile haunt of the Roman poet Catullus,
to Salò, home of D'Annunzio's sumptuous villa.
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 Sirmione
is a picturesque town built on a narrow peninsula
jutting out onto Italy's largest lake. It
has been described as the "pearl of Garda" although
it is difficult to justify singling it out from
all the other charming towns dotted along the shores
of the lake. That said, there's something for everyone
at Sirmione: from nature-lovers to culture-vultures
without forgetting a trip to the thermal
baths for the stressed-out city-dwellers amongst
us.
The main attraction in Sirmione is the castle. Castello
Scaligero was commissioned by Mastino I della Scala
and boasts Roman and Mediaeval remains, drawbridges
and embattlements reflecting Sirmione's past as
a garrison town.
 Catullus,
the Roman poet, spent long periods of time in Sirmione
and celebrated the town in his work. The ruins of
his villa and baths - Grotte
di Catullo - occupy a prime position on the
peninsula. To visit them walk the kilometre from
the castle, or take the electric train, which
leaves from Piazzale delle terme during the summer
season (April-October).
Water babies can arrange for a boat trip
around the peninsula, phone +39-030-9905235 for
booking information. Sporty types may choose to
hire a bike and set off to discover the surrounding
countryside.
And, if you're partial to a glass of wine you won't
be disappointed as the area is known for its Lugana
DOC, a good quality white. On your cycle don't
be surprised if you spot swans and other aquatic
birds and animals as the rivulets which run into
the lake, known locally as ganfi, are the
ideal habitat for water species.
It's time to leave Sirmione behind and head through
the olive and lemon groves to the Park
area (Parco dell'Alto Garda Bresciano)
which comprises Salò,
home of the linen industry and birthplace
of Gaspare Bertolotti, inventor of the violin.
Art lovers will enjoy a visit to the town's many
churches and historic buildings. The late Gothic-early
Renaissance Cathedral (Duomo di Salò)has
been recently restored and houses some wonderful
paintings and wooden sculptures dating from the
days when Salò was part of the Republic of
Venice.
You can't go to Salò without visiting the
Vittoriale,
the exotic, some would say kitsch, villa of Italy's
ultra-nationalist poet Gabriele D’Annunzio in
nearby Gardone. You can visit the grounds, house
and museum where over 18,000 of the poet's personal
belongings are on view.
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| by
ELENA
GUARNERI |
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May
2001
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THE SURVIVOR'S 
