GARGNANO

Gargnano rises in a very narrow side of the lake, with brescian pre-Alps behind and the Baldo mountain on the front.
Rich vegetation and lemon fields presence are proofs of the mild microclimate that makes Gargnano a particularly frequented tourist and holiday resort. From an historical point of view evidences of a III cent. b.C. settlement can be found in some Rroman age tombstones.

This resort is provided with a little harbour only for tourist ships while traditional activities connected with fishing are almost entirely disappeared. There are two Feltrinelli Villas in Gargnano: one is located in the town of Faustino, dates back to end of the last century, and gave hospitality to Mussolini in the Social Republic age. The second one was a site of the so called Salò Republic. On the lake bank rise S. Giacomo de Cali church, one of the most ancient religious site of the western Gardesan bank. It is a Romanesque building of the XII cent. its front is made of irregular stone blocks, and is supported by a ribbed vault bell tower. Outside, along a side, we can even see some XIV cent. fresco paintings showing S. Antonio Abate between San Paolo and an Evangelist, S. Antonio da Padova with Jesus on his shoulders.

San Francesco church (that has maybe Franciscan origins), of the last half of the XIII cent., shows a simple hut front embellished with a portal; a sculptural representation can be found in a niche in S. Antonio (XIV cent.). The inside of the church contains an Andrea Bertanza sixteenth-century painting showing S. Stefano Martire and other paintings of the same age made by Lombard artists. The northern side of the church has a sculptural representation of the stigmata
miracle, while some fresco paintings of XIII-XIV cent. were discovered inside the bell tower.
The cloister stands out for its arch sequence, a lot of them are characterised by curious and unusual typical Moresque architecture forms. Capitals of the columns, enhanced with orange and lemon leaves and fruit, seems to fortify the tradition that would like to see the cultivation of those citrus fruits introduced and made in the banacensi Franciscan territories.

The S. Martino parish church, XI cent, presents a front with a column vestibule; the inside keeps a Venice school painting of the XVII cent, one school of thought believe that it has to be attributed to Veronese workshop, it represents the last dinner. San Tommaso Apostolo church is located in Villa Gargnano; some marvellous masterpieces are kept inside. Among them we find a wooden statue showing S. Carlo Borromeo and a fresco painting of the first half of the XVI cent. From the large square in front of the building have a beautiful sight on Gargnano and the lake. An Andrea Celesti painting of the annunciation is kept in a near cloister building.