Desenzano del Garda ( lmo, label= Brescian, Dezensà) is a town and ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' in the

province of Brescia The Province of Brescia ( it, provincia di Brescia; Brescian: ) is a Province in the Lombardy administrative region of northern Italy. It has a population of some 1,265,964 (as of January 2019) and its capital is the city of Brescia. With an ar ...

, in Lombardy,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, on the southwestern shore of Lake Garda. It borders the communes of Castiglione delle Stiviere, Lonato,

Padenghe sul Garda Padenghe sul Garda is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It is situated on the southwest coast of Lake Garda. Neighbouring communes are Calvagese della Riviera, Desenzano del Garda, Lonato del Garda, Moniga del Garda a ...

and Sirmione.

History

Sometime in the first century, the area around lake Garda, including what is now Desenzano del Garda, became a favourite vacation spot for the Veronese élite,

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city municipality in the region and the second largest in nor ...

being one of the largest Roman cities in northeastern

. On 24 June 1859, four divisions of Sardinian infantry fought a gruesome battle with elements of the Austrian Eighth corps, under

Feldzeugmeister ''Feldzeugmeister'' was a historical military rank in some German and the Austro-Hungarian armies, especially in use for the artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th or 17th century, but could even be found at the beginning of the 20th century i ...

Ludwig von Benedek Ludwig August Ritter von Benedek (14 July 1804 – 27 April 1881), also known as Lajos Benedek, was an Austro-Hungarian general (Feldzeugmeister), best known for commanding the imperial army in 1866 in their defeat at the Battle of Königg ...

, in an engagement encompassing Madonna della Scoperta,

Pozzolengo Pozzolengo (Brescian: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy (man), (woman) lmo, lumbard, links=no (man), (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographic ...

, and San Martino (as Desenzano del Garda was known). This action was part of the greater battle centered on

Solferino Solferino ( Upper Mantovano: ) is a small town and municipality in the province of Mantua, Lombardy, northern Italy, approximately south of Lake Garda. It is best known as being close to the site of the Battle of Solferino on 24 June 1859, par ...

, during the

Second Italian War of Independence The Second Italian War of Independence, also called the Franco-Austrian War, the Austro-Sardinian War or Italian War of 1859 ( it, Seconda guerra d'indipendenza italiana; french: Campagne d'Italie), was fought by the Second French Empire and t ...

, and was a vital step in achieving Italian unification – unification that was gained only eleven years later. During the Third Italian War of Independence, Desenzano was bombarded by the Austrian navy.

Notable residents

The Italian poet and librettist Angelo Anelli, who collaborated with Rossini in revising ''

L'italiana in Algeri ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (; ''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San ...

'' (''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') from an earlier text by Luigi Mosca, and whose libretto for ''Ser Marcantonio'' by Stefano Pavesi became the basis for Donizetti’s ''

Don Pasquale ''Don Pasquale'' () is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti with an Italian libretto completed largely by Giovanni Ruffini as well as the composer. It was based on a libretto by Angelo Anelli for Stefano Pavesi's ...

'', was born in Desenzano del Garda in 1761. Olympic gold medalist, sprinter Marcell Jacobs grew up in Desenzano del Garda. Italian cyclist

Sonny Colbrelli Sonny Colbrelli (born 17 May 1990) is a retired Italian professional road bicycle racer who most recently rode for UCI WorldTeam . Career Born in Desenzano del Garda, Colbrelli has competed as a professional since the start of the 2012 season, ...

and Italian volleyball player Alessandro Michieletto were also born in the town.

Main sights

* The Cathedral of St Mary Magdalene * The House of St Angela Merici * The Tower of St Martin (''Torre di San Martino'') * An archaeological museum (''Museo Civico Archeologico'') * Several old-style villas (Villa Romana) and a castle

Tourism

The city is a holiday destination in Southern Europe. It attracts tourists from the immediate area owing to its views of the Alps from the southern shore of Lake Garda, its three large beaches (Desenzanino Beach, Spiagga d'Oro, and Porto Rivoltella Beach), and its 27 major hotels. Desenzano is the heart of nightlife on the southern shore of Lake Garda, with several discos and pubs. In the summer, its main squares, Piazza Malvezzi and Piazza Matteotti, are crowded with people. At the center of the city are a series of interconnected piazze that house open-air cafés, shops, gelaterie (ice-cream parlours), and bars.

Transport

The city has a main port near the Piazza

Giacomo Matteotti Giacomo Matteotti (; 22 May 1885 – 10 June 1924) was an Italian socialist politician. On 30 May 1924, he openly spoke in the Italian Parliament alleging the Fascists committed fraud in the recently held elections, and denounced the violence ...

, from where several ferries operate. On the south-western outskirts of the city is a large

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

, the Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione railway station (Stazione Ferroviaria), which connects the city to the European railway system. Desenzano also has its own exit from the A4 motorway, the main road between Milan and Venice.

World heritage site

It is home to one or more prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements, which are part of the

Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps are a series of prehistoric pile dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from about 5000 to 500 BC on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. In 2011, 111 sites located variousl ...

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Municipal government

Desenzano is headed by a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

(') assisted by a legislative body, the ', and an executive body, the '. Since 1994 the mayor and members of the ' are directly elected together by resident citizens, while from 1946 to 1994 the mayor was chosen by the legislative body. The ' is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called '. The offices of the ' are housed in a building usually called the ' or '. Since 1994 the mayor of Desenzano is directly elected by citizens, originally every four, then every five years. The current mayor is Guido Malinverno ( FI), elected on 26 June 2017.

Gallery

File:San Martino della Battaglia - Aussicht Solferino.jpg, Countryside around Desenzano File:Torre San Martino della Battaglia.jpg, San Martino Tower File:San Martino della Battaglia - Aussicht Gardasee 2 Sirmione.jpg, Sirmione peninsula and lake Garda seen from Desenzano File:Desenzano Castello.jpg, Castle in Desenzano File:Desenzano del Garda - Il faro.jpg, The lighthouse near the harbor File:25015 Desenzano del Garda, Province of Brescia, Italy - panoramio (1).jpg, Desenzano harbor File:Desenzano del Garda, the Piazza Giuseppe Malvezzi.jpg, Street in the old city centre

References

External links

Desenzano Tourism
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desenzano Del Garda Cities and towns in Lombardy Populated places on Lake Garda