PESCHIERA

An important resort on the Southern side of the lake, it is located on a soil which has morainic origin, on the exact point where the river Minicio comes out from the Garda. Because of its geographical location, it is the link for important connection routes, and has always been a military and strategic stronghold.
It is a very important tourist resort, well served by the main train lines and motorways. It is one of the main
routes leading to gardesan area. The surrounding little region is renowned for its wine production, particularly the white Lugana wine.
Situated on an ancient site, as in many other parts of the lake there is evidence of a little pilework village.

It was colonised by Romans, who called it Arilica, and was reinforced by fortresses, even if it kept a great importance as a fishing and transportation centre.
Peschiera was called Piscaria in the Medieval age, in clear reference to the richness of the fishes. It was an autonomous Common under the administration of the Verona episcopate first, and under the Scaliger family after.
Made a well defended fortified town by the Venetians, it then entered the Cisalpine Republic before passing under the control of Austria.
During the Renaissance it was a part of the elusive Austrian "Quadrilatero" together with Verona, Mantova and Legnago.

The mark of the big Austro-Hungarian fortresses characterises nowadays this resort as one of the best kept examples of military fortified towns of the nineteenth century. Little remains of the ancient stronghold. On the other hand the powerful wall bastion of pentagonal shape, is very well kept, with its foundations inside the lake. The enclosing walls, surrounded a thick vegetation and shaded by trees, is a marvellous panoramic terrace with a view to the lower Garda basin. The Verona door, designed by Sanmicheli, and the ancient Brescia door are very interesting too: both of them are characteristically impressive. Very close to the inhabited centre the Madonna del Frassino Sanctuary can be found, It is a sixteenth century building, nowadays national monument, which arose on the site of a miraculous event. The simple front door presents a rose window and has an arcade, with seventeenth century frescos. To be noticed inside the Virgin sculpture, Farinati seventeenth century frescos and Zenon Veronese, H. Muttoni and A. Bertanza pictures.