Garda is a town and ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' on the shore of

Lake Garda Lake Garda (, , or , ; ; ) is the largest lake in Italy. It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, between Brescia and Milan to the west, and Verona and Venice to the east. The lake cuts into the edge of the Eastern Alps, Italian Alp ...

, in the

province of Verona The province of Verona (Italian: ''provincia di Verona'') is a province of the Veneto region in Italy. On its northwestern border, Lake Garda—Italy's largest—is divided between Verona and the provinces of Brescia (Lombardy region) and Trentin ...

Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...

, northeastern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Garda is from

Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...

, and is one of the smallest towns in the whole province.

Main sights

The historical centre of the town, with narrow streets, is still intact. Sights include: *''Villa degli Albertini'' (16th century) with its magnolia trees, *''Palazzo dei Capitani'' (''Captain's Palace''), a pale-yellow edifice built in Venetian

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

style (14th century) *''Palazzo Carlotti'', built in

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

style *''Santa Maria Assunta''. This parish church dates from the 6th–7th century, but was rebuilt starting in 1530 by Giovanni Matteo Giberti. However, the construction was stopped due to lack of funds, and the church, dedicated to the

Assumption of the Virgin Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of whether Mary died or whether she was ra ...

, was completed only in 1764. The door portals (1824) are made with white Veronese stone. The interior consists of a nave and two aisles. The eastern side is divided by on six heavy columns, while the southern side has four lighter ones. They are all connected by round arches. The statues of Saints Peter and Paul (1886) were made by the Veronese sculptor Righetti, while a large wooden crucifix dates from the 14th–15th centuries. Behind the crucifix is the printed edict of Pope

Innocent II Pope Innocent II (; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as Pope was controversial, and the first eight years o ...

(November 1138) resolving the allocation of

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...

s. The side altar of St.

Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua, Order of Friars Minor, OFM, (; ; ) or Anthony of Lisbon (; ; ; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Catholic priest and member of the Order of Friars Minor. ...

dates from 1720. The altarpiece was painted by Simone Brentani, while the statues in

Carrara marble Carrara marble, or Luna marble (''marmor lunense'') to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara ...

represent San Fabiano and San Sebastiano. The two walnut confessionals (17th century) were carved by the workshop of

Andrea Brustolon Andrea Brustolon (20 July 1662 – 25 October 1732) was an Italian sculptor in wood. He is known for his furnishings in the Baroque style and devotional sculptures. Biography He was trained in a vigorous local tradition of sculpture i ...

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

style. The side altar (1648) in the "Capella dei Caduti" contains a wooden statue of "Madonna and Child" (in Veronese style, 15th century). In the right aisle is located the side altar with the paintings of Saints Luigi Gonzaga and Vincenzo Ferreri by

Gaspare Diziani Gaspare Diziani (1689 – 17 August 1767) was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque or Roccoco period, active mainly in the Veneto but also in Dresden and Munich. The artist's canvas is the largest painting of the Hermitage Museum in St. Peter ...

(1764). The baptismal font dates from the 17th century. The main altar dates from mid 16th century and stands in front of the organ (1958). Behind the altar on the wall is an ''

Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Catholic Mariology#Dogmatic teachings, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it on 1 November 1950 in his apostolic constitution as follows: It leaves open the question of w ...

'' (17th century). The two statues of angels in front of the altar were sculpted by

Francesco Filippini Francesco Filippini (18 September 1853 – 6 March 1895) was an Italian painter from Lombardy. He was much influenced by Tranquillo Cremona. Life Filippini was born into a poor family on 18 September 1853 in Brescia, in Lombardy, which at th ...

(1600). The pulpit was made out of briar root and walnut. *''Rocca of Garda'', castle standing 300 m over the town, which offers views over the whole lake. Over the same site is located the 15th century

Carmelite The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...

monastery. *''San Vigilio'', a village whose names comes from

Saint Vigilius Vigilius of Trent (, ; c. 353 – 26 June 405) is venerated as the patron saint and bishop of Trent. He should not be confused with the pope Vigilius, pope of the same name. Life According to tradition, he was a Roman Empire, Roman Patrician ( ...

(''San Vigilio''), the

Bishop of Trento The Archdiocese of Trento (, German Trient) is a Latin Metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Triveneto, named after its see in Alpine Italy, Trento (Tr(i)ent), in Trentino-Alto Adige region. The seat (throne) of the archbishop ...

from 385 to 402 AD. In 1540

Agostino Brenzoni Agostino may refer to: *Agostino (name) * ''Agostino'' (film), an Italian film directed by Mauro Bolognini * ''Agostino'' (novel), a short novel by Alberto Moravia *, an Italian coaster See also *Agostini (disambiguation) *D'Agostino (disambiguati ...

built his villa here within a small park, with design by

Michele Sammicheli Michele Sanmicheli, sometimes also transcribed as Sammicheli, Sanmichele or Sammichele (Verona, 1484There is no certainty about the date of his birth. Vasari reports 1484, while architectural historian Giulio Sancassani, through a study of his fat ...

. People who have stayed at the Brenzoni Villa include

Tsar Alexander Alexander of Russia may refer to: * Alexander I of Russia (1777–1825), also known as Alexander the Blessed * Alexander II of Russia (1818–1881), also known as Alexander the Liberator * Alexander III of Russia Alexander III (; 10 March 184 ...

, the

King of Naples The following is a list of rulers of the Kingdom of Naples, from its first Sicilian Vespers, separation from the Kingdom of Sicily to its merger with the same into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Kingdom of Naples (1282–1501) House of Anjou ...

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

King Juan Carlos King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by f ...

and the

British royal family The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...

Bounding communes

Bardolino Bardolino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about northwest of Verona. Geography Located on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, Bardolino borders the followi ...

Costermano Costermano sul Garda is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about northwest of Verona. Costermano sul Garda borders the following municipalities: Affi, Bardolino, ...

Manerba del Garda Manerba del Garda is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is located at the southwest side of the Lake Garda. It is bounded by the comunes of San Felice del Benaco, Puegnago sul Garda, Moniga del Garda, Polpenazze d ...

San Felice del Benaco San Felice del Benaco ( Gardesano: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, northern Italy. The name derives most likely from the Latin ''sinus felix'', meaning "pleasant harbour". It is located on the western shore of the Lake G ...

Torri del Benaco Torri del Benaco is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about northwest of Verona, on the eastern coast of the Lake Garda Lake Garda (, , or , ; ; ) is the l ...

References

External links

Comune di Garda

Interactive 360° panorama of Garda
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garda (Vr) Cities and towns in Veneto Wine regions of Italy Populated places on Lake Garda