SIRMIONE

The peninsula jewel, as Catullo definet it, Sirmione goes along the low gardesan basin in the Brescia territory. This peninsula is very thin, reaches 4 km in length and it is only 120 mt wide in its narrowest point. It is really one of the most renowned peculiar panoramic resort between Desenzano and Peschiera, dividing the two gulfs.

This location was already well known in Roman age as Sermio Mansio. It became the favourite residential place of the most rich segment of the ancient roman society, attracted by the places and by the extraordinary mildness of the lake climate. Even now we have a large number of roman age ruins which are visited by tourists. Because of the typical position it had a leading defensive and strategic role, even under Byzantine and Lombard people. It made itself a free common, and was soon subdued by the Scaligeri's who fortified the village and built the merlon rock- the Sirmione most famous tourist image. At the beginning of the fifteenth century, the little fortified core was a part of the territories ruled by the very strong Republic of San Marino. Nowadays, Sirmione is a liveliness tourist resort instead, very appreciated for its climate and summer stays.

The centre proudly shows an ancient thermal station which can be dated back to very ancient times- it seems that the Catullo caves are nothing more then ruins of Roman age- and that exploits the water outgoing from the Boiola thermal source. The latter is an underwater spring coming out from the lake a few hundred yards eastward of the peninsula. Water is channelled in the thermal facility and in the centre for rinogen deaf treatment. The thermal cures address rheumatic, arthritic, respiratory pathologies and the treatment of genital feminine system conditions, together with skin problems. Sirmione keeps an urban dimension maintaining its human extent, made easier by the narrow and typical little streets, strictly pedestrian and crowded by a large varied number of tourists and visitors. The little core has been able to harmonise and balance the most ancient fabric of the city with the most modern building trade development. All the rest is made more pleasant by a green vegetation and by the picturesque little harbour, in which the castle mirrors itself, some of the most qualifying aspects of Sirmione.



ROCCA SCALIGERA

The Scaligera Stronghold is one of the most important tourist elements in Sirmione. It was built in the second half of the thirteenth century, commissioned by Mastino the first of the Scala Verona Lords. It is surrounded by the lake water communicating with the inner harbour. The towers disposed on the corners, the double round of the walls, crowned by Ghibelline and Guelph merlons and the central tower, give the complex a strong fortified fortress shape, rich in historical memories. Inside the enclosing walls, reachable only by two drawbridges, the Roman and medieval lapidary can be found showing important archaeological pieces. The round walk and the tower are wonderful terraces with a view, from here your can wonder freely with your sight over the little town, its peninsula and the lake.

The entrance to the historical Sirmione core is by a door which is part of the Scaligera complex and that brings in the tangled but fascinating medieval little street labyrinth. At street level there are artistic shops, typical meeting places, souvenirs stores and restaurants where you can taste the typical gardesan cooking specialities.
In the square elegant buildings and well kept dwellings appear. Lines of tables sheltered by parasols offer a good occasion to stop tourists for a while, taking advantage of the bars and refreshment points.


CHIESA DI SAN PIETRO IN MAVINO

On the highest point San Pietro in Mavino church arises, it is on the boundary with a thick olive wood, with fascinating panoramic sights. Its first building was finished in high medieval age on the ruins of an ancient pagan cult place. In the eleventh century the church was rebuilt with the bell-towers. New works have been executed during the fifteenth century.
The church presents itself as a simple and linear building. On the square where it is built a modern votive altar with a Knell can be found between the olive trees. The outside apse, dominated by the little bell-tower, is elegant: the central apse is accompanied by other two lateral ones of smaller size. The interior, extremely well assembled in an unique nave was enhanced by fresco painting in the thirteenth-fourteenth century. It is due to mention the painting embellishing the vault and the high apse walls, completed by a wooden cross.


CHIESA DI SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE
The Santa Maria Maggiore church arises close to the Scaliger Stronghold and is preceded by an arcade supported by columns. The first left columns is, in actual facts, a roman cippus of the fourth century b.C., also known as the "miliario" by Giuliano the Apostata. The building, of the fifteenth century, arose on a pagan temple; the inside, with one nave of a late gothic taste. Between the artistic masterpiece the apse portion, the wooden pergamo and the chorus stalls draw the visitors attention as those are the result of the work of skilled seventeenth century carvers. Also to be mentioned is the wooden fifteenth century statue of the Virgin, a fresco of fifteenth- sixteenth cent. paintings and a Venetian painting showing the Apostle Dinner.


CHIESA DI SANT'ANNA

The little Sant'anna church, near to the stronghold, is a really interesting seventeenth century building because of the fine weave of Baroque enhancing. The vault supporting the altar is very peculiar, as the architectonic line harmonically unite the fine made stuccoes, the paintings and the sculptures. In the church there are also traces of fine fresco sixteenth century paintings.


GROTTE DI CATULLO

The archaeological Catullo "caves" complex occupies the Northern part of the peninsula, along the deep blue water of the low gardesan basin. All the region is integrated in a particularly fascinating landscape: specifically at sunset the game of lights and shadows and the bright colours combined with the ancient ruins, amongst the green of the olive trees and cypresses lines, make a picturesque and romantic picture. The Catullo caves are mentioned between the most wide and representative archaeological Northern Italian sites. Its "cave" denomination has truly a little to do with it. It is because the wide area is referred probably to a great residential roman complex of the empire age, that gather together also important ruins of a thermal building and of some shops that could have suggested the not proper denomination.

The dating of the building is uncertain and contradictory: archaeological findings, discovered in the supposed oldest portion (the southern), suggest that the dating backs to around the I cent b. C. The archaeological site covers a squared area (167,44 x 105,56 m) with an avant-corps that goes to the ground of 43 x 32, 26 m. In the complex this big Vailla covers a 20345 mq area and extends itself, from north to south; for 240,90 mt. It is certain that it was built between two different ages. Remarkable archaeological findings are tidily shown in a Antiquarium you can visit at the entrance. Parts of sculptures, muse pieces, fresco traces, oil-lamps, jewels and other finds are arranged here. Catullo stayed here long, writing ecstatic lines on the beauty of the place. The big olive wood, the shop street, the big pillar, the Paradise mullion window with three lights, the Horse cave, (underground vaulted cave), the Giant hall, the double crypt- portal , the bath, the swimming pool, the reservoir- which people believe are part of a thermal structure- represent a sort of obliged way through the historical memories and literary and environment suggestions.