Manerba, San Felice and Garda Island

Located on the western shore to the south-west of the lake, the municipalities of San Felice del Benaco and Manerba del Garda are ideal for relaxation, thanks to their tranquillity, their very gentle terrain planted with vines and olive trees, as well as large beaches and campsites.
History and nature have left beautiful sites, such as the Rocca di Manerba with the remains of an ancient fortress on a rocky spur; the Garda Island near the coast with its Venetian palace and gardens; or, just opposite the latter, the small promontory of the church of San Fermo in the municipality of San Felice.

Rocca di Manerba

At Manerba is the culminating site of the ancient and vast Rocca di Manerba on its rocky promontory, with its very beautiful panorama over the lake. On the other hand, imagination is required to appreciate the past power of the castle. The site comprises the two peaks of the Rocca Vecchia and the hermitage of San Giorgio, within a natural and archaeological park listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The main remains that are left are those of the medieval fortress, but human presence is attested since the Mesolithic, passing through a Roman temple dedicated to Minerva (Manerba).
There are also remains of a Roman villa. It can be reached in particular from the centre of Manerba, or by a path climbing from Punta Sasso.

San Felice del Benaco

Just north of Manerba, the municipality of San Felice del Benaco is also a land of olive trees and vines, away from road and tourist traffic.
The small promontory of San Fermo is a very peaceful place with a lovely view over the lake and the Isola del Garda, and at its feet the Baia del Vento is a pleasant, well-equipped pebble beach with a car park. The small church of San Fermo on the promontory dates back to the 15th century; previously an imposing castle stood here, which was destroyed.

In the municipality, the sanctuary of the Madonna del Carmine, which dates back to the 15th century and to the Carmelite convent, has a sober Lombard Gothic-style facade, hiding an interior decorated with beautiful 16th-century frescoes and preserving beautiful old frescoes.

Garda Island

On the islet of Garda Island (Isola del Garda in Italian), also called Isola Borghese, stands the early 20th-century Villa De Ferrari, in a refined Venetian neo-Gothic style, surrounded by terraces descending towards the lake and their beautiful Italian and English gardens, rich in botanical diversity and fruit trees of all kinds.
This island was a Roman sanctuary, and later Francis of Assisi had a hermitage built there. Later, Dante Alighieri, or Saint Anthony of Padua, stayed here.
The island belongs to Countess Cavazza, who resides there. 200 metres from the coast, the villa can be visited by reservation with guided tours, reachable by boat, generally twice a week, from the surrounding landing stages (Salo, San Felice del Benaco, Gardone Riviera and Sirmione).

Information

• Official Garda Island website: www.isoladelgarda.com
• Wikipedia articles: Garda Island, Rocca di Manerba del Garda (in English)
• Tourist portals: Isole del Garda on www.bresciatourism.it, San Fermo on www.tuttogarda.it

Map