Isola del Garda, the largest island of Lake Garda, is located between the municipality of San Felice del Benaco and the Gulf of Salò and can only be reached by lake. The island is 1100 meters long, 160 meters wide and is 220 meters from the mainland.
A few meters from this promontory is the Scoglio dell'Altare, one of the most famous and popular diving spots in the entire lake, and not far away is the island of San Biagio or Isola dei Conigli.
On the occasion of this year the cultural capital of Bergamo Brescia takes place the musical review "Le Note dell'Isola", a series of events in which it is possible to listen to live concerts in the natural context of the island.
Isola del Garda is currently owned by the Borghese Cavazza family but has been used for centuries as a place of worship and spiritual retreat. It was a place of meditation for both the Romans and the Longobards, and San Francesco d'Assisi built a hermitage there, but Antonio da Padova and Bernardino da Siena also passed through it.
Traces of its millenary history are present in the 130 Gallo-Roman tombstones donated to the Brescia Museums by Count Luigi Lechi, owner of the island, who in the 19th century had the first villa built on the remains of the ancient Franciscan convent.
From Isola dei Frati it thus became a residential island to welcome the Lechi family. Among the new buildings it is worth mentioning the small port, built in 1830 on a project by the architect Rodolfo Vantini.
On the other hand, the definitive transformation of Villa Lechi is owed to the Duke de Ferrari, the new palace on the Isola del Garda was built between the 19th and 20th centuries in Venetian neo-Gothic style. The residence currently houses 63 rooms where valuable canvases, portraits and old photos of the current owners are kept.
The Borghese Cavazza family lives here all year round and opens the villa at set times for weddings and guided tours.
The gardens of Isola del Garda host a large number of local plants but also of exotic origin. There are numerous fruit trees: pear, lemon, grapefruit, pomegranate, persimmon, olive trees are mostly distributed on the lower terrace.
In the vicinity of the villa there are palm groves of the Canary Islands. Among the flowers, roses, of many different varieties, enliven a beautiful English garden.
The visit begins with a short journey by sea which will allow you to enjoy the panorama of the island immersed in the waters of Lake Garda. It is a real show with its magnificent gardens and Villa Borghese Cavazza.
You arrive at the small port and visit the beautiful park which includes the Italian garden, the English garden with plants from all over the world and the olive grove.
In the park, a collection of wooden sculptures is another interesting element of the guided tours, which even the little ones will appreciate.
We continue by visiting the ancient cemetery of the Franciscans (the first inhabitants of the island), a colony of gray herons, the greenhouse in the center of the rose garden, the Casa delle Fate and some interiors of the villa from the early 1900s.
The spectacular terrace in Venetian neo-Gothic style, with a breathtaking view of the Italian garden and the blue of Lake Garda, never ceases to fascinate all visitors. The view extends up to the Rocca di Manerba.
It is possible to book visits from the island's official website, from April to October booking is mandatory.
Prices include: round trip by boat (departure from various ports), guided tour in Italian/English/German, welcome aperitif and DOP extra virgin olive oil tasting.
The most fascinating way to reach the island is certainly on board the historic sailing ship "Siora Veronica", also owned by the Cavazza family, a sailing ship dating back to 1926, from which you can enjoy the beautiful panorama of Lake Garda.
Other boats are also available to visit the island with departures from the main ports of the lake.
The duration of the visit is approximately 2 hours.
30 Apr
08 Apr
16 Mar