– Sirmione
Lugana of Sirmione
The historic town of Lugana di Sirmione is located in an eastern position with respect to Colombare, between the lake and the hinterland which has become the heart of the production of the wine of the same name.
Connected directly to the historic center of Sirmione also via the lakeside promenade which continues to the park and the beach of Punta Grò, Lugana offers a wide range of tourist and restaurant accommodation.
The nodal point of today’s village is also the Church of Santa Maria Immacolata in Lugana, built between 1910 and 1912.
Today Lugana extends across the territory to include the village of Rovizza, the ancient estate of the Rovizzi counts. Here you can visit the small church dedicated to Saint Ursula, once a noble chapel, and the Alpino Monument, testimony to the sacrifice of many Sirmionesi who served in this Corps.
The history of the town of Lugana
To the south of the Sirmione peninsula extended the ancient Lugana or Ligana or Lucana or Litana forest.
Due to its strategic position, it was the scene of numerous military events, including the clash between Constantine and Maxentius in 312 AD.
Perhaps right here in the forest, in an unspecified place, Pope Leo the Great in 452 AD. he would have convinced Attila, leader of the Huns, to return to the north.
The toponyms present in this area, such as San Benedetto, San Vigilio and San Martino, recall the agricultural reclamation work carried out here too by the monks. However, the forest had almost disappeared at the beginning of the 16th century, as it was colonized and exploited as agricultural land.
The clayey soils of the areas still cultivated produce the famous Lugana wine.