Sirmione

The history of the peninsula begins in the second millennium BC, the Bronze Age, attested by the presence of lake-dwelling settlements found not only in the area of Lago della Maraschina (in the Municipality of Peschiera), but also in those of Porto Galeazzi (in the Municipality of Sirmione) and of San Francesco (in the municipality of Desenzano).

Roman age

Sirmione stood on the Via Gallica, an ancient road that from Bergamo and Brescia reached Verona, to connect to the Via Postumia; in Desenzano the Via Gallica continued towards Peschiera along the coast, crossing Rivoltella and Colombare.
On the hill that takes the name of “Grotte di Catullo” (Catullus’ Caves), there are the ruins of the Roman villa (1st century AD) which a long, unfounded tradition attributes to the poet Catullus. In that period, the entire coast of lower Garda was in reality was chosen as a holiday resort for patrician families, as demonstrated by the discovery, in the Sirmione site, of at least three villas, the ruins of which have been renamed “Catullus’ Caves”. Spread over an area of two hectares in a panoramic position, they represent the most impressive archaeological area in northern Italy.
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The Lombards and the Middle Ages

During the Lombard dominion, the strategic role of Sirmione was confirmed by its election as the capital of the judiciaria sermionensis, an area which from Valtenesi extended to the eastern shore of the lake and reached as far south as San Martino di Gusnago, a hamlet of Ceresara in the province of Mantua, as well as including the Riva plain to the north. Three churches dating back to the period, existing in the second half of the 8th century, according to contemporary evidence: San Martino, San Vito and San Pietro in Mavinas. The first of these, dedicated to San Martino, perhaps coincides with the current parish church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The church of Santi Vito e Modesto, still existing, does not coincide with the ancient 8th century building, demolished in 1744 and rebuilt. It is a small chapel located inside an estate about two kilometers from the castle, which currently hosts the celebrations for the feast of the two saints, on 15 June.
The small church of San Pietro in Mavino stands on the hill of the same name, and the mysterious toponym is probably due to its geographical position: in summas vineas, that is, the highest among the vineyards. A part of the apse at the beginning of the path that leads into the public park is the only remaining trace of a fourth Lombard church, dedicated to San Salvatore. The building, built after 760 by Queen Ansa, wife of Desiderio, the last king of the Lombards, was part of a small female monastic complex. The finds preserved in the castle come from this ancient building, including two fragments of a ciborium bearing the names of Desiderio and his son Adelchi. The Lombard presence in Sirmione is further confirmed by the discovery of tombs in the area between the road of the “Grotte”, the “Lido delle Bionde” and via Piana, which testify to the existence of an ancient necropolis located in this area.

From the Scaligeri to the Venetian domination

From 1197 the peninsula entered the sphere of influence of the Municipality of Verona, then of the Scaliger lordship, with strategic functions for the control ensured by the castle, built by the Scaligeri family.
Surrounded by water, from the top of the castle keep you can admire the lake. Connecting to the complex is the Church of Santa Maria al Ponte, also known as the Oratory of the Beata Vergine al Ponte, but called Sant’Anna by the inhabitants of the village, who from time immemorial have identified the figure portrayed in the fresco as the saint. In 1387 the Scala dynasty waned and a rapid succession of lordships began for Sirmione, until 1405 when the long Venetian domination began which lasted until 1797.
In 1866 the Austrians ceded Venice and the Veneto to the King of Italy and on that date the territorial unity of the Municipality of Sirmione, broken after the Second War of Independence in 1859, was recomposed: the border between Austria and the Kingdom of Savoy fell at the height of the building called “Vecchia Dogana”, which in its name testifies to its ancient function.

Lugana and Colombare

To the south of the Sirmione peninsula, the ancient Lugana or Ligana or Lucana or Litana forest extended, the scene of numerous military events, including the clash between Constantine and Maxentius in 312 AD. In the current center of Lugana you can visit the small church dedicated to Sant’Orsola, once a noble chapel, and the Alpino Monument, testimony to the sacrifice of many Sirmionesi who served in this Corps. Not far away, the Colombare area takes its name from an ancient farmhouse that has now disappeared. In the 1960s the population wanted their own church which, named after Saint Francis, interpreted the innovations of the years of the Second Vatican Council in the language of architecture. In 2012 in via XXV Aprile, at the beginning of the lakeside promenade, “Pietra Madre: the Menhir of friendship and peace” was installed, a stone sculpture by Maestro Giuseppe Bongiorno.

The Thermal Spring

Sirmione’s spa activity is known throughout Europe. Since the Renaissance, the presence of a hot and sulphurous thermal spring, the Bojola, has been known, which bubbles from the seabed 250 meters from the eastern shore of the peninsula. The ownership and concession are held by the Società Terme e Grandi Alberghi Sirmione, founded in 1921, which still holds them. The construction of the new Thermal Establishment and the creation of a Rhinogenic Deafness Treatment Center date back to 1948. There are currently two factories: the Catullo, in the historic center and, since 1987, the Virgilio, in Colombare. The thermal water of Sirmione is used for the treatment and prevention of ENT, bronchopneumological, rheumatological, orthopedic, dermatological and gynecological disorders. In 2003, the Aquaria center was inaugurated at the Catullo, a place of well-being with a thermal pool as a source of well-being.