Malcesine is a ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' (municipality) on the eastern shore of

Lake Garda Lake Garda ( it, Lago di Garda or ; lmo, label=Eastern Lombard, Lach de Garda; vec, Ƚago de Garda; la, Benacus; grc, Βήνακος) is the largest lake in Italy. It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, about halfway between ...

in the

Province of Verona The Province of Verona ( it, Provincia di Verona) is a province in the Veneto administrative region of Italy. On its northwestern border, Lake GardaItaly's largestis divided between Verona and the provinces of Brescia (Lombardy region) and Trenti ...

in the Italian region

Veneto Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona. Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...

, located about northwest of

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

and about northwest of

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...

Geography and divisions

The comune of Malcesine consists of (from north to south) Navene, Campagnola, Malcesine proper, Val di Sogno and Cassone. It stretches along the ''Via Gardesana Orientale'' (Strada Statale 249) and is nestled between Lake Garda and the slopes of

Monte Baldo Monte Baldo (german: Waldberg) is a mountain range in the Italian Alps, located in the provinces of Trento and Verona. Its ridge spans mainly northeast-southwest, and is bounded from south by the highland ending at Caprino Veronese, from west b ...

. Malcesine is the northernmost comune on the Veneto shore of the lake, immediately to its north lies

Trentino Alto Adige Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous region ...

. Two of the largest islands of Lake Garda are located in Malcesine: The ''Isola di sogno'' and the ''Isola dell'olivo'' (or ''Isola degli olivi'').

History

The first recorded inhabitants of the area were

Etruscans The Etruscan civilization () was developed by a people of Etruria in ancient Italy with a common language and culture who formed a federation of city-states. After conquering adjacent lands, its territory covered, at its greatest extent, rou ...

dating to around 500 BC. After 15 BC, with

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

' victory over the

Rhaetians The Raeti (spelling variants: ''Rhaeti'', ''Rheti'' or ''Rhaetii'') were a confederation of Alpine tribes, whose language and culture was related to those of the Etruscans. Before the Roman conquest, they inhabited present-day Tyrol in Austria, ...

, the area came under the control of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

. After the fall of Rome, the area was ruled in turn by

Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the larg ...

Alemanni The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes * * * on the Upper Rhine River. First mentioned by Cassius Dio in the context of the campaign of Caracalla of 213, the Alemanni captured the in 260, and later expanded into pres ...

and then the

Langobards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...

. Between the 5th and 6th centuries the Langobards built a castle on the rock where the ''Castello Scaligero'' stands today. It was destroyed in 590 by the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

. They subsequently rebuilt it and in 806 hosted King Pepin. After attacks by

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...

the castle became part of the holdings of the

Bishop of Verona 235px, The facade of ''Palazzo del Vescovado'' The Diocese of Verona ( la, Dioecesis Veronensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in northern Italy. The diocese belongs to the Ecclesiastical Province of Venice. The bishop of Verona ...

. In 1277, the castle fell to Alberto della Scala and until 1387 remained in the possession of the

della Scala The Della Scala family, whose members were known as Scaligeri () or Scaligers (; from the Latinized ''de Scalis''), was the ruling family of Verona and mainland Veneto (except for Venice) from 1262 to 1387, for a total of 125 years. History Wh ...

family, whose name it still bears. Over the next centuries, castle and town were ruled in succession by the

Visconti of Milan The Visconti of Milan are a noble Italian family. They rose to power in Milan during the Middle Ages where they ruled from 1277 to 1447, initially as Lords then as Dukes, and several collateral branches still exist. The effective founder of the ...

(until 1403) and the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

(1405-1797). The control of Venice was only interrupted by a brief period (1506–16), when the area was under Imperial rule during the reign of

Emperor Maximilian I Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519) was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death. He was never crowned by the pope, as the journey to Rome was blocked by the Venetians. He proclaimed himself E ...

. In 1797-98, the area was occupied by the forces of

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

after which the Veneto became part of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

. In 1866, Malcesine became part of the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

Origins of the name

The first appearance of the toponym dates back to 9 September 844, when the term Manessicelles results in the testament of the Archdeacon Pacific with the meaning, according to Borsatti, of the tombs of the dead: this meaning would be corroborated by the discovery of some Etruscan-style burials in the surroundings up area. Over the centuries there are many documentary variants: Manascicines (932), Malesicine (1023), Malesisicis (1154), Malesisinum (1159), Malasilice (1225), Malsexeno (1422), Malsesene (1611) to name but a few of the Maffezzoli. The etymology of the toponym is however uncertain, revolving around the interpretation of Malae silices or Mala silex as "Stone hostile" or "Bad stone", probably referring to the morphology of the territory characterized by steep mountains rising on the lake, or as "Bad paved road" of Roman origin.

Main sights

Castello Scaligero

Malcesine's most prominent landmark is the ''Castello Scaligero'', which has 13th-century fortifications and an older medieval tower in white natural stone. Like the castle of

Sirmione Sirmione (Brescian: ; vec, Sirmion) is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy (northern Italy). It is bounded by Desenzano del Garda (Lombardy) and Peschiera del Garda in the province of Verona and the region of Veneto. It has a hist ...

at the southern end of the lake, it is named for the della Scala family of

who ruled the region in the 13th and 14th centuries, and has the characteristic swallow-tail

Ghibelline The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rival ...

merlon A merlon is the solid upright section of a battlement (a crenellated parapet) in medieval architecture or fortifications.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 202. Merlons are sometimes ...

crenallations A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

. Remnants of an Etruscan tomb have been found within the castle walls. Most of the structures visible today date to the period of the della Scala. The bell of the castle was cast in 1442 and it is still in service. In September 1786,

Johann Wolfgang Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treatis ...

was questioned by the local magistrate on suspicion of being an Austrian spy after drawing sketches of the castle, and recalled the incident in his published travel report ''Italienische Reise'' (

Italian Journey ''Italian Journey'' (in the German original: ) is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's report on his travels to Italy from 1786 to 1788 that was published in 1816 & 1817. The book is based on Goethe's diaries and is smoothed in style, lacks the sponta ...

). During the period of Austrian rule, which ended in 1866 after the

Third Italian War of Independence The Third Italian War of Independence ( it, Terza Guerra d'Indipendenza Italiana) was a war between the Kingdom of Italy and the Austrian Empire fought between June and August 1866. The conflict paralleled the Austro-Prussian War and resulted in ...

, major renovation work took place inside the castle. The Austrians turned it into a military garrison and the munition store they constructed was later used by the ''Guardia di Finanza'' of the Kingdom of Italy as a prison. Since 1902, the castle has been a national monument. Today, the castle contains a small museum on the natural history of Lake Garda (Museo del Garda) and Monte Baldo (Museo del Baldo). One room in the Austrian powder magazine is dedicated to Goethe and his visit.

Palazzo dei Capitani

Located on the lake shore is the ''Palazzo dei Capitani''. It was constructed by the Scala family between the 13th and 14th centuries on older

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

and Romanesque remains. After being reduced to a simple shell, possibly in an earthquake or by a fire, the building became the property of Francesco Mercanti, from Verona and he passed it on to his heirs. On 18 December 1473, it was sold to Alessandro Miniscalchi. By 1477, the building was already remodelled in the Venetian style. In 1618, Verona purchased the building on the behest of the Republic of Venice for use as the residence of the official called ''Capitano del Lago''. Various further remodelling work followed. The ''Capitano'' was the head of the ''Gardesana dell'Acqua'', a regional autonomous territory under Venetian rule. On 20 March 1854, the comune of Verona effectively ceded the property to the comune of Malcesine and in 1897, Malcesine became the sole owner. It has been a national monument since 1902. Today, it is used for exhibitions and events and also houses the public library. File:Malcesine Castello 2.JPG, Castello Scaligero, Malcesine. File:Malcesine Goetheherme.jpg, Goethe Memorial, Malcesine. File:Malcesine 061014 - Palazzo dei Capitani 03.JPG, Garden of the Palazzo dei Capitani, Malcesine. File:Malcesine-Palazzo-dei-Capitani-CTH.JPG, Palazzo dei Capitani, Malcesine.

Monte Baldo

Behind Malcesine rises the high Monte Baldo. A two-stage cable car ride—the second leg using one with rotating cabins—takes passengers to

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. From there the highest point can be accessed by walking a few kilometres to the south along the ridge. File:Funicular, lake garda, malcesine to monte baldo.jpg, Cablecar from Malcesine to Monte Baldo. Top Station, ca. 1700m File:Die Nordseite des Hafens von Malcesine.jpg, Malcesine harbour. File:Gustav Klimt 042.jpg, Painting of Malcesine harbour by Gustav Klimt, 1913. Destroyed by fire at Schloss Immendorf, 1945. File:Malcesine from south.jpg, Malcesine from the south.

Churches

Pieve In the Middle Ages, a pieve (, ; la, plebe, link=no; plural ''pievi'') was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended. The Italian word ''pieve'' is descended from Latin ''plebs'' which, after th ...

di S. Stefano'' (or parish church of St. Stephen), first mentioned in the 9th century. Today's

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

church dates to the early 18th century and contains several works of art including the altars of ''SS. Benigno e Caro'' (Saints Benigno and Caro, 1769) and of the ''Beata Vergine delle sette allegrezze'' (Virgin of the Seven Joys, 1771), as well as a

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

and the painting ''Deposizione'' attributed to

Girolamo dai Libri Girolamo dai Libri (1474/1475 – July 2, 1555) was an Italian illuminator of manuscripts and painter of altarpieces, working in an early-Renaissance style. Accademia - Madonna col Bambino e angeli musicanti - Girolamo Dai Libri.jpg, Virgin ...

. ''Santa Maria di Navene'' is yet another notable church in the town, dating back to the 17th century).

Economy

Transport

Whilst Malcesine is not connected to the railway, the town is served by buses. Moreover, there is public transportation by boat, including express

hydrofoil A hydrofoil is a lifting surface, or foil, that operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to aerofoils used by aeroplanes. Boats that use hydrofoil technology are also simply termed hydrofoils. As a hydrofoil craft gains sp ...

s, on the lake for passengers as well as a car ferry.

Climate

References

External links

Town websiteTourism website
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Veneto Populated places on Lake Garda