Sirmione Peninsula, Lake Garda

18th of April, 2010, leaving beautiful Verona behind we drove westwards, the next destination Lucerne, Switzerland. We halted at Lake Garda en route, the largest Lake of Italy. And what a charming sight we got to see there! We headed towards the Sirimone Peninsula, the Rocca Scalgera Castel at the base of the peninsula was a sight to behold. Standing tall, strong and mighty, the castle of 13th century looked so inviting. We were soon inside exploring the interiors, the towers, walking along the high walls devouring the scenic beauty of the lake from the Castle towers.



The northern tip of the peninsula in the pic below, the Roman poet Catullus(84BC) lived here. The ruins of the Grotte di Catullo, his villa, lie among the olive trees here. How I wished then to have enough time to take a walk along the lakeside, along the shores of the peninsula!



The castle had a very complex defense system. The moat around looked strong, today it is home to carp. The main tower was used for attacking the enemies trapped below. The inner harbor was a safe anchoring space during storms. The drawbridge linking the castle to the mainland was the escape route for the inhabitants.


The Scaligeri rulers fought amongst themselves for riches and power, but they did provide peace and prosperity to the region and fended off attacks by the Visconti family who ruled the neighboring Lombardy. My knowledge of Italian history was getting better.