Tom`s travels: Bussolengo, Manerba del Garda & Moniga del Garda (15/12/2024)

On a seemingly gray and slightly foggy day, I decided to visit a few towns around Lake Garda. My first stop was the village of Arcé, with its small but nice historic center. I walked along the main street, sided by low houses, until I reached the western end where the church of San Michele is located. Built during the 12th century in a Romanesque style, it was unfortunately closed. I saw it from the outside and then headed back through the rest of the town. On the eastern end, I then admired the nice Villa Da Sacco, originally dating to the 18th century but refurbished in the following century. Not far from there, I then reached the church of San Lorenzo Martire, Pescantina's Duomo, but strangely located far from the town's city center. Built during the 18th century over a previous medieval church, featuring a neoclassical style, it has a nice interior and an 80m high detached bell tower. Just across the bridge over the Adige River, I then reached the city of Bussolengo. I walked through the city center first, visiting the Sanctuary of the Perpetuo Soccorso, refurbished in the 18th century, with a 16th-century Renaissance cloister and a 14th-century icon of the Madonna from Crete inside. After that, I walked through town, following the main street until I reached the main square, Piazza XXVI Aprile. Here was the old building of the town hall, and behind it the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Originally dating to the 12th century, it was then completely remade during the 18th century, and in 197,6 a new concrete part was added on the northern flank, completely changing the layout and turning the former church into the transepts. Continuing on my walk through town, I then reached the church of San Valentino at the southern end. Despite being closed, I could still admire the 15th-century exterior frescoes with depictions of the story of St. Valentine, as well as one depicting the crucifixion on the southern facade. Not far from this church was another church, San Rocco, also closed and dating to around the same period. To complete my tour of the city, I then ended up at the Villa Spinola, a nice example of a 15th-century villa with a loggia and a 13th-century dovecot tower. After visiting the city, I got in the car, drove alongside the lake, and reached its western side, where the town of Manerba del Garda is located. Made up of smaller old towns, I decided to park in one of them, Montinelle. I first explore the nice historic part with its 15th century church of San Bernardo, closed, and its narrow streets. Then from there, I started heading uphill to reach the castle. The Rocca di Manerba, now just ruins, is located on a rocky promontory right above Lake Garda, dominating the landscape and with incredible views all around. The promontory was inhabited since the Neolithic times, and a defensive structure was built during the Middle Ages; that structure was eventually destroyed by Venice when the republic took the area under its control, as it had become a refuge for bandits. As I was on top, the clouds and fog partly gave way to blue sky and sun, and so I could partly admire the mountains in the distance, including the snow-capped Monte Baldo. Back down, I then visited the small museum detailing the local history, fauna, and flora. I talked to a friendly lady there a bit about myself and my travels, and she told me a bit about herself and the area. After the nice conversation, I continued on to visit the surroundings, heading on foot to the nearby old town of Solarolo. I first visited the large church of Santa Maria Assunta, a nice baroque building built in the 18th century. Then, along the main street, I reached another church, San Giovanni Battista Decollato, this one actually not in use for religious purposes but holding a whole set of mechanical nativity scenes with both traditional buildings and landscapes as well as more modern ones with even a ski slope and skiers. In the northern end of town, I then reached yet another church, Santissima Trinità, dating to the 15th century and supposedly holding frescoes inside which I couldn't see as it was closed. Finally, to finish off my trip, on the way back, I stopped to visit the town of Moniga del Garda. Here was a beautiful fortified village: a group of houses surrounded by a thick wall and towers. I walked both inside the structure and outside, admiring the nice medieval walls and towers, including the imposing main one serving as an entrance gate as well. In front of the castle was the church of San Martino, which I visited, built in a baroque style in the 18th century over a previous one. Finally, it was time to get back in the car and drive all the way home.