I am away from Cagliari for a few days and my starting point of this adventure is a little town called Sirmione. Sirmione is a comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy (northern Italy). It is surrounded by the comunes of Desenzano del Garda and Peschiera del Garda in the province of Verona and the region of Veneto. It has a historical centre which is located on the Sirmio peninsula that divides the lower part of Lake Garda.
Here is a google map of the exact location of Sirmione:
Starting from the 1st century BCE, the area of the Garda, including what is now Sirmione, became a favourite resort for rich families coming from Verona, then the main Roman city in north-eastern Italy.
The historical centre of Sirmione is pedestrianised; its narrow winding lanes were busy with tourists but I am sure the Summer period is a lot more crowded. Orienting yourself can be confusing, but the town is so small that you can’t get lost for long. Sirmione is a very picturesque town, with its two main tourist attractions being the castle and the Roman ruins.
The town is dominated by a thirteenth-century castle, the Rocca Scaligera, defended by a moat patrolled by swans and ducks. It is a real fairytale castle from the exterior.
This fortification, surrounded by water, was built near the end of the 12th century as part of a defensive network surrounding Verona. The castle is a beautiful!
I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon wandering the streets of Sirmione.
J-B. Xx
