Sirmione Castle

Sirmione, Italy

Sirmione castle was built near the end of the 12th century as part of a defensive network surrounding Verona. The castle was maintained and extended first as part of the Veronese protection against their rivals in Milan and later under the control of the Venetian inland empire. The massive fortress is totally surrounded by water and has an inner porch which houses a Roman and Medieval lapidary. From the drawbridge, a staircase leads to the walkways above the walls, providing a marvellous view of the harbour that once sheltered the Scaliger fleet. The doors were fitted with a variety of locking systems, including a drawbridge for horses, carriages and pedestrians, a metal grate and, more recently, double hinged doors. Venice conquered Sirmione in 1405, immediately adopting provisions to render the fortress even more secure, fortifying its outer walls and widening the harbour.

Thanks to its strategical geographical location as a border outpost, Sirmione became a crucial defence and control garrison for the ruling nobles, retaining this function until the 16th century, when its role was taken up by Peschiera del Garda.

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Address

Piazza Castello 3, Sirmione, Italy
See all sites in Sirmione

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

www.sirmioneitaly.com
www.nuoveterme.com
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Santa Maria Maggiore Church (0,1 km)
Grotte di Catullo (1 km)
San Pietro in Mavino (0,7 km)
Desenzano Castle (6 km)


Verona Amphitheatre (30,7 km)
Scaliger Tombs (30,9 km)
Juliet's House (30,9 km)
Castelvecchio (30,2 km)
Sant'Agata Church (30,8 km)
Piazza della Loggia (30,7 km)
Roman Theatre (31,1 km)
Ponte Pietra (30,9 km)
Broletto Palace (30,6 km)

User Reviews

王文龙 (2 years ago)
Very nice place. Even though the castle is not so big, it is protected very well. it remains the full shape as several hundred years ago. Also the landscape on the top of main tower is wonderful. Thanks to the unbelievable landform, this castle is unique in the world.
Terry Hearldon (2 years ago)
Lovely place and beautiful historical town. I have no doubt that you would love your visit here. Viva Italia!
Rich (2 years ago)
Sirmione Castle you have to visit. So beautiful place. High season lot of people.
Inci Sirman (2 years ago)
It's a beautiful ruin and very easily accessible. You can climb up to the tower for gorgeous views. Bit scary part on top if you're not so good with heights, but views are well worth it. There isn't a lot to see otherwise. Location is great and you have nice views all around. I was there just before all the Xmas decorations came off, so it was great, with lights everywhere. Very romantic.
Pip Toogood (3 years ago)
There isn't much of the castle left, so there isn't really much to see inside. But you can walk round most of the walls and peer down into the fortified harbour - it was great watching the pleasure boats take passengers round the island. From the top of the tower there are good views of Sirmione and Lake Garda, and it's worth the 5 euros admission just for that.
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Glimmingehus

Glimmingehus is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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