Gardone Riviera

HISTORY OF GARDONE RIVIERA

The town rose at the end of the last century, by help of the Austrian Luigi Wimmer, coming here in Gardone Riviera for the fist time, he was so fascinated of this unique place and the mild climate also in winter, that he decided in 1874, to live here forever with his wife Emilie. He was the pioneer of the hotel industry and thanks to his activity, in a few time, a lot of hotels were built like Grand Hotel Gardone (1882), Gran Hotel Fasano, Hotel Montebaldo, Hotel Garda e Suisse and the well restored Grand Hotel Savoy. Wimmer urged different activities and created contacts, especially with the “German Tour Operators”, so German guests began to enlive the town, especially in wintertime. But Gardone Riviera is famous for the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, who came and settled at the monumental complex of Vittoriale, in 1921, an unforgettable memorial, which merits a visit.

ARTS

Next to Strada Gardesana, not far from the historical the centre, there is “Villa Alba“, an enormous palace in neoclassic stile, with a large garden full of precious plants and tress. It was built between 1905 and 1910, by project of the architect Shafer. The park “Ruhland”  (earth of peace) takes part of this complex, a picturesque place with a big watch tower. This tower in 1918 was bought by Gabriele D’Annunzio, who restored it completely in Medieval stile, naming it “Torre San Marco“. The place today belongs to the Commune and is used only for representing. Next to the lake, nearby “Torre San Marco”, you can find “Villa Fiordaliso“, a dependance in Liberty style. It is famous, because Mussolini’s lover lived here, Miss Claretta Petacci, during the Socialism, when Salò was Republic. Today, in this villa you can find an elegant hotel. Gardone Sopra, so is called the ancient centre of the upper town with its characteristic and picturesque stile, romantic lanes and corners, antique palaces, surrounded by large gardens with a plentiful vegetation, most of all oaks, pikes and palms all in all creating this special “ambiente”. The parish church (18th. century), consecrated to San Nicolò, was built on ruins of a temple of the 13th. century with a well preserved bell-tower. Inside it keeps two precious masterpieces of Zenon Veronese (16th. century). From the loggia you can have an unforgettable panoramic view. At the coast lies another district of Gardone Riviera, named “Fasano“. To visit the church San Faustino of the 16th. century, surrounded by a lot of villas testifying a former noble tourism  with luxurious gardens, from Via Gardesana up to the hills. Next to the lake there is a large palace of the 16th. century, completely restored and changed in hotel at the beginning of the 19th. century “Villa Paradiso” today a noble Beauty Farm.

ATTRACTIONS

Starting from Grand Hotel, taking Via Roma, directed to Vittoriale and the upper-town. Just in a few time we arrive at a large botanical park Giardino Botanico Hruska, a private garden, realized in 1912 by another famous person of Gardone Riviera, the naturalist Arthur Hruska. He was dentist of the Russian sovereign, he had a great passion: travelling round the world and so he arranged this garden. It is divided in various sectors, for example Japanese part with little ponds and a typical Japanese vegetation, followed by an Indian sector, an Dolomiti part of garden, where you can find a 13m high rock with gaps and rifts and three waterfalls. Since 1980 the famous Austrian Andrè Heller is the owner of this wonderful property. The completely restored park today has about 2.000 different species of trees and plants, many exotic and alp flowers, enriched with modern sculptures by Keith Haring and Mimmo Paladino. Another “masterpiece” of Gardone is the villa of D’Annunzio, Villa Alba, better known as “Vittoriale“, situated in the district “Cargnacco“. It was built by the projects of the architect Gian Carlo Maroni of Riva and was the residence of the famous poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, from 1921 till he died, in  1938. This palace gives back the epoch, in which the poet was living here, a powerful and domineering stile. This complex seems like a little hamlet with many different buildings, immersed in a large park with an open-air theatre “Pelaggio“, where various festivals take place in summertime of every year. Then there is to visit the mausoleum with the tomb of the poet. High points are D’Annunzio’s “Torpedo boat MAS 96“, used during the battle of Buccari (10th and 11th. of February 1918), the warship “Puglia“, its bow is to find in the park. The bow indicates to east, in direction to the Adriatic Sea. Then there is to visit “Prioria“, the residence of the poet and commander of war, to admire his library, he possessed more than 33.000 books. “Schifamondo“, the new part of the residence and at least “Auditorium“, where you can see his original aeroplane, which he flight over “Wien” (Austria) at the 9th. of August 1918.