Page 214 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Venice & The Veneto

212  THE VENE T O AREA B Y AREA

e Sirmione Peninsula

Charming Sirmione is a finger of land extending
into the southern end of Lake Garda, connected to
the mainland by a bridge. The Roman poet Catullus
(born in 84 BC) owned a villa here: the ruins of the
Grotte di Catullo lie among ancient olive trees at
the northern tip. The Rocca Scaligera castle stands
guard at the base of the peninsula, and beyond,
the narrow stone-paved View Towards the Grotto
streets of the village The high central tower commands
give way to peaceful views over the castle and the whole
lakeside walks and of the Sirmione peninsula.
elegant spa hotels.

. Rocca Scaligera
The castle was built in the
13th century by the Scaligeri of
Verona. It is cleverly designed
to trap shipborne invaders,
leaving them vulnerable to
missiles dropped from the
castle walls.

KEY
1 Piazza Castello
2 The moat, originally a
complex defence system, is
today home to schools of carp.
3 The main keep tower was
used for bombarding attackers
trapped below.
4 The inner harbour provided
a haven for fishermen during lake
storms and an anchorage for the
castle fleet.
5 The drawbridge is heavily
fortified, linking the castle to Visiting the Peninsula
the mainland and offering an Cars must be parked
escape route to the castle’s before entering Sirmione,
inhabitants. leaving the medieval
streets for pedestrians.

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.4)
Date 15th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm