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Excursions |
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|  "The Ugo da Como Foundation, Lonato (BS)"
The foundation, established by testament of the Brescian senator Ugo da Como (1869-1941), runs the House-museum called “of Podestà”, the Rocca complex and the buildings of the former district prisons.
The House of Podestà (XV-XX cent.) has a well-stocked library of 52,000 volumes, 495 15th century books, 470 illuminated manuscripts and codexes, scrolls and prints. It holds the letters of Ugo Foscolo to countess Marzia Martinengo, maps, antique furniture, paintings, Roman glassware, pharmacy vessels, pewter, majolica, porcelain and sketches amoungst which one can find the prized drawings of Tiepolo and Appiani.
The Rocca (XIV-XVI), an imposing Viscontean-Veneto fortress, is situated on the top of a hillock from which one can enjoy a wonderful view of the entire lake Garda; inside one can visit an interesting ornithological museum.
Opening times of Museum and Rocca: Saturdays and Sundays, 10.00-12.00 and 14.30-18.30; July and August, daily. Other days by appointment.
Entrance fee.
Tel. and fax: 030.9130060
E-mail: info@fondazioneugodacomo.it
Website: www.fondazioneugodacomo.it
| | |  | | |  | | |  Gardaland, Castelnuovo del Garda (VR)
One of the largest theme parks in Europe. Accessable from Peschiera or Lazise on the A4 Milano-Venezia, exits Peschiera or Sommacampagna. Gardaland is 12 km from the “Catullo” airport at Villafranca of Verona and 2 km from the station at Peschiera where a free bus service operates continuously.
Gardaland offers numerous attractions from the dolphinarium to the “Valley of the Kings”, a reconstruction of the ancient Egyptian world, the “Jungle rapids”, a water ride abord logs. There are plenty of bars, restaurants, fast food joints, shops and stalls; there is also a weather-forcast service, a nursery, buggy rental and a first-aid service.
Open from the end of March to the beginning of October and every weekend in October, from 9.30 to 18.00. In March, April and September from 10.00 to 18.00 on Mondays to Saturdays excluding holidays; In Summer from 9.00 to 24.00.
Entrance fee.
Info-line: 045.6449777
Website: www.gardaland.it
| | | | | | | | |  Canevaworld, Lazise (VR)
An acqua theme park resembling a tropical desert island. Canevaworld, a “world of enjoyment”, is divided into five areas of different themes. It is accessable from the A4 (exit Peschiera).
There are numerous attractions such as “Aqua Paradise”, “Movie Studios Park”, water games and incredible water shooots that launch the visiter out of this world with a splash!
Open daily from the beginning of May to the middle of September, from 10.00 to 19.00.
Entrance fee
Tel.: 045.6969700; Fax: 045.6969701
E-mail: info@canevaworld.it
Website: www.aquaparadise.it
| | | | | | | | | The Natura Viva Park, Pastrengo (VR)
The Natura Viva Park stretches across the morainic hills of the Veronese hinterland, 18 km from Verona, and covers about 40 hectares. It is divided into two parts: the safari park, through which one can drive one’s own veichle along a 6km track, and the wildlife park which includes a dinosaur park, a tropical hothouse and an acquaterrarium with fish, amphibians and reptiles.
For group bookings educational visits are available on request with guided tours and seminars with video shows. The park hosts around a thousand animals belonging to 200 species.
Open from March to November. In November, except Wednesdays, from 9.00 to 16.00 (from 9.00 to 17.00 in June, July and September; from 9.00 to 18.00 in August), in Februray on Sundays, holidays and pre-holidays, closed in December and January.
Entrance fee.
Tel.: 045.7170113
E-mail: info@parconaturaviva.it
Website: www.parconaturaviva.it
| | | | | | | | |  The Sigurtà Garden Park, Valeggio sul Mincio (VR)
A masterpeice of botanical architecture where visitors can walk along woodland paths and across vast lawns, admiring over 31,000 age-old box trees, the exceptional horizontal sundial, the little Neo-gothic temple or Eremo from which melodic music plays, the eighteen ponds and their tropical fish, the water gardens, the votive grotto in which many fossils are preserved, the little castle in which important historical, scientific and literary memoirs are kept.
The park, open to the public since 1978, at 8km from Peschiera, stretches over 50 hectares and originates from the “brolo cinto de muro” (walled garden) of the Maffei Villa, registered in the cadastre of the Serenissima in 1617 and once the headquarters of Napoleon III.
Open daily from March to November, from 9.00 to 18.
Entrance fee
Tel.: 045.6371033 Fax: 045.6370959
E-mail: info@sigurta.it
Sito: www.sigurta.it
| | | | | | | | |  The Vittoriale degli Italiani, at Gardone Riviera (BS)
A monumental complex of about 9 hectares. Originally owned by the German art critic, Henry Tode (related to Litz and Wagner), it was bought in 1921, by Gabrielle d’Annunzio (1863-1938) who set up living quarters here in the “Priory”, furnishing it elaborately with precious objects, historic relics and a 33,000 strong library.
In the study stands a bust of his lover, Eleanora Duse, a “veiled witness” to his work. Also worth a visit are “Cheli’s Room”, the guests’ dining room decorated in the Art Deco style with brightly coloured laquered wood, tables set with precious ornaments and oriental idols, and “Leda’s Room”, the bedroom, decked with ritualistic statues, souveniers and Chinese nik-naks.
Opposite the “Priory” one finds the “Schiffomondo” (loathesome world) home to the museum of d’Annunzio. Across the garden one reaches the valley where the ship “Puglia” is set, a gift to the poet from the Navy in 1921.
Extending towards the lake is the open-air theatre designed by the architect Gian Carlo Maroni; it can seat 1,500 people and holds an annual Summer festival of plays, operettas, classical music and ballet. In the auditorium, one can view the SVA airplane on which d’Annunzio flew to Vienna on 9th August 1918.
Outside sits the Fiat T4 in which the poet made his triumphant entrance to Fiume on 12 September 1919.
High above everything stands the mausoleum.
Open daily: from April to September from 8.30 to 20.00; from October to March from 9.00 to 17.00. The Priory is open from April to September from 9.30 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 17.00.
Entrance fee
Tel.: 0365.296511
Fax: 0365.296512
E-mail: vittoriale@vittoriale.it
Website: www.vittoriale.it
| | | | | | | | | The Park of Brescian Higher Garda
Instituted in September 1989, the Park of Brescian Higher Garda occupies an area of 38.269 hectares and has a population of circa 27.000 distributed in the municipalities of Limone sul Garda, Tremosine, Tignale, Gargnano, Valvestino, Magasa, Toscolano Maderno, Gardone Riviera and Salò.
It is one of the most enchanting areas of the lake, typified by strong environmental contrasts: severe and wild inland with its valleys, rocks and ridges all overlooked by mounts Caplone and Tremalzo; with imposing ledges overhanging the water; notable examples of industrial architecture such as the Valley of the Paper-mills and the cotton-mill of Campione; olive groves and lemon-houses; beaches, hamlets, villas, gardens, hotels. All this renders the area most appealing to the many tourists which visit each year.
The Park aims at safeguarding the environment and at promoting economical and cultural activity, scientific research and social, turistic and recreational fruition.
Comunità Montana Parco Alto Garda bresciano
Tel. 0365.71449 Fax: 0365:72585
E-mail: info@cm-parcolatogarda.bs.it
The Parks visitors’ centre at Tignale, is open to the public from March to November, closed on Wednesdays.
Entrance fee.
Tel. 0365.761048 - 761049
E-mail: centro.visitatori@cm-parcoaltogarda.bs.it
| | | | | | | | | The lemon-houses of Garda
Around lake Garda one can still see the typical greenhouses where from the end of the 1600’s, lemons were cultivated for comercial purposes. Many are disused; three have been restored and opened to the public.
a) The Scaliger Castle lemon-house at Torri del Benaco, with age-old citrus trees.
Open from the 1st April to 31st May and from 1st –31st October: from 9.30 to 12.30 and from 14.30 to 18.00; from 1st June to 30th September: from 9.30 to 13.00 and 16.30 to 19.30.
From December to March, open only on Sundays and holidays from 14.30 to 17.30.
Closed in November and on Mondays.
Tel. and fax: 045.296111
b) The Del Pra dela fam lemon-house at Tignale was re-opened in 1984 by the Comunità Montana dell’Alto Garda Bresciano: around one hundred citrus trees, 66 of which are lemons, are aligned in three còle.
Open on Wednesdays, from 15.00 to 17.00; from April to October also on Saturdays, from 15.00 to 17.00 and on Sundays, from 10.00 to 12.00.
Tel. 0365.71449
c) The Castèl lemon-house, in the historical town centre of Limone sul Garda, has been open to the public since August 2004; it houses 64 citrus plants amoungst which are lemons, cedars, grapefruit, oranges, mandarins, bitter oranges and kumquats.
Open on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 16.00 to 18.00.
Tel. 0365.954061
| | | | | | | | | Santa Giulia, Brescia
In the via Musei area, ruins of an entire Roman district with houses, roads and a temple are preserved. Here in 753, duke Desiderio, later king of the Longobards, and his wife Ansa, founded the Benedictine nunnery of St. Salvador and St. Giulia which had a large estate stretching up as far as lake Garda.
Today the building is the town’s museum where ample sections of the exhibition are devoted to the history of the nunnery (the St. Salvador church of the Longobard era, the romanic oratory of St. Maria in Solario, the nuns’ choir, the church of St. Giulia and the Rennaisance cloisters) as well as to showing a collection of extraordinary art work.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00 to 18.00 (summer) or from 9.30 to 17.30 (winter); closed Monday.
Info and bokings: + 39 030.2977834
www.comune.brescia.it/musei
Monet and Titian at Santa Giulia
From 23 October 2004 to 20 March 2005, Santa Giulia will hold two great exhibitions:
“Monet la Senna le ninfee” and “Tiziano e la pittura del Cinquecento a Venezia”.
Info@lineadombra.it
www.lineadombra.it
| | | | | | | | | Venice
Accessible from Roveretto Sud on the A22 Brennero motorway or from Desenzano on the A4. The city, located on a vast lagoon with hundreds of isles often connected via bridges, is an artistic centre of worldwide importance. A visit is a must.
Among the many beautiful sights worth visiting are the Arsenale, the Grand Canal (the most important waterway of the city), the Ca’ d’Oro, St. Mark’s square, the Rialto bridge, the churches of the Redentore, of St. George, St. Maria of Miracles, St. Mary of Health, St. Mary Formosa, St. Mary Gloriosa of Frari, St. Rocco, Sts. John and Paul.
Also worth a visit are the isles of Torcello as well as Murano and Burano which are famous for glass and lace handicrafts.
www.comune.venezia.it
| | | | | | | | | Verona
Situated at the foot of the Lessini mountains, at the mouth of the river Adige, Verona is accessible from the A4 Milano-Venezia and from the A22 Brennero-Modena. Other than Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza Bra and Piazza dei Signori, worth noting are the Palazzo del Comune, the Palazzo degli Scaligeri, the loggia del Consiglio, the house of Romeo and Juliet, Castelvecchio, the Duomo, the Roman Theatre and the churches of St. Anastasia, St. Zeno, St. Mary in Organo.
The most famous sight of the city is the Arena, built in the I cent. A.D., it is one of the most important and the best preserved Roman amphitheatres. It can seat 22.000 spectators and holds a prestigious summer opera festival.
Info: + 39 045.592828
www.comune.verona.it
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The weather |
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20.08.2008
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| 29 °C |
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