RIVA DEL GARDA

It is clear the Northern top of the Garda lake is wedged in as a narrow fjord between mountains. Riva del Garda is on the most southern position, in the lower Sacra valley. Its central urban mark is a traditional city, which has a leading administrative role for the Trento district territories that appear on the lake. Its geographical position places it in an absolutely favoured location , as a crossroad between important connection roads. The Riva del Garda landscape is peculiar because of the stone branches of Rocchetta, and of the Brione mountain's profile which separates the Sarca outlet introducing its water inside Garda's ones.
The surrounding territory has a clear pre-alpine mark such as representing a crossing point toward the Trernto Dolomiti world, far only some ten km. If you gaze to the lake in south direction you can admire, on the left, the long and shapeed Baldo mountain chain that presents in the foreground the top of the Altissimo di Nago mountain. The locality presents opposite environment and landscape characteristics, The landscape and the nature of the region have, because of it, an very alpine form, while the mild climate and the liveliness of the vegetation are typical of the Mediterranean zone.

The climate has mild and temperate in every part of the year characteristics and particularly in the traditional coldest ones. Because of this peculiar and pleasant anomaly, we can find everywhere along the banks of the lake, Riva del Garda is one of the most renowned and qualified tourist resort. Particularly appreciated by German speaking tourists, we can not count during week-ends the Bavarian or Tyrol number plated cars going to this climate oasis. It was exalted by people such: Goethe, Nietzsche or Mann, and is really invaded by Austrian, Swiss, Dutch people who find here the serenity and peace described by the great novelists. The vigorous breeze blowing in this land make it particularly attractive for surfing and sailing people. The inner part is otherwise particularly rich in vegetation: olive, vineyard, oleanders, agaves, palms and many other species.

Historically we find a trace of the Roman age, it was when it gave hospitality to a cavalryman congress who administrated the inner part of the lake basin. The first reference to high medieval age is in an ottonian diploma ( X cent.) in regia curtis period lead by Verona episcopacy. It passed then under Trento episcopate principality control (XI cent.), flourished in trades and commerce becoming and important fair and markets place. From the XIV cent. it was submitted by Scaligeri, Milan viscounts, and the by the San Marco Republic, remaining there till the begininng of the Xvi cent. It was occupied once by French at the beginning of the XVIII cent. then more then once by Napoleon, and so annexed to Bavaria, to the Italic Reign, of the Austrian Hungarian empire and became at last a part of the Italian Nation, after the winning of the great war (1918).

The historical Riva part is typical because of the different building with an Ambro Venice mark, while the fascinating Erbe square proposes another element which is typical of the urban Triveneto centres. We have a lot of cultural, musical, traditional attractive; above all the spectacular " Fiaba Night", that change the little town into a picturesque images, lights and colours game with fire works, torch-light processions and street shows. The historical core is located around the ancient arcade, bounded by the Catena square and III Novembre square with the fascinating Apponale tower.

The latest was realised with big squared stone blocks of the XIII cent. and raised in XV-XVI cent. with the adding of the crowning that rise from the balcony, lightened by mullion window with two lights. Riva del Garda's symbol is the tower supported with the typical little angel that turns with the wind. The Pretorian palace is a fourteenth scentury building , it was built with big stone arches of the arcade, where evidences of the roman venetian and veronese domination are kept. We find close the town hall, former than XIII cent, and rebuilt by venetian people in the second half of the XV cent. In its rooms the Lake town director lived. The citadel ( whose architecture is similar to the Sirmione one) is a strong quadrilateral fortress, reinforced by angular towers with a mastio and a central yard with arcades. Its origins date back to the XII cent but it was rebuilt by Verona people in the XIV cent, and changed by venetian people in the XV cent., it was transformed under Trento episcopate principality in Austrian occupation period. The building is completely surrounded by water, the only way to reach it is by a drawbridge.
Inside it there is a Civic Museum with archaeological evidences of high gardesan territories and of the Val di Ledro. The finds date back to the prehistory; particularly interesting are the materials found in a pile work site on the bank of the Ledro lake, the roman documentation, the paleolithical and naturalistic finds the proves of ethnographic importance.

The Assunta parish church is an eighteenth building with an elegant front, enhanced by niches with sculptures and with a fine front door. The baroque inside presents a wonderful high altar and fine pictures by eight- nineteenth century masters, between them outstand: O. B. Cignaroli, O. Craffonara and O. B. Piazzetta. Another interesting building is the
seventeenth century Inviolata church that keeps young Palma's pictures and T. Turri and P. Picchi frescos.