Lonato Castle

Lonato, Italy

The Lonato medieval castle 'La Rocca' rises on a hill which dominates the southern part of Lake Garda and is one of the most impressive castles in all of Lombardy. Set inland, overlooking the ancient town of Lonato, the Rocca is an imposing structure nearly 180 meters long and 45 meters wide, complete with drawbridge!

Throughout the years and centuries, Lonato del Garda was ruled by various peoples and families who fought each other over the fortified town which had a strategically important defense tower. The fortress belonged to the counts of Montichiari, the Scaliger family, and in 1376 it was the Visconti who expanded the fortified walls to protect the entire town. Today, the medieval Rocca of Lonato houses the town’s ornithology museum, “Gustavo Carlotto”.

References:

blinktravel.guide

Address

Largo Papa 17, Lonato, Italy

See all sites in Lonato

Details

Founded: 10th century AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

www.roccadilonato.it

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Desenzano Castle (4,1 km)
Desenzano Roman Villa (4,2 km)

Santa Maria Maggiore Church (10 km)
Sirmione Castle (10,1 km)
Sant'Agata Church (22,5 km)
Loggia dei Militi (51,5 km)
Cremona Baptistery (51,4 km)
Piazza della Loggia (22,4 km)
Broletto Palace (22,3 km)
Cremona Cathedral (51,4 km)
Rocca Castle (54,4 km)

User Reviews

Rolf Schillinger (2 years ago)
Very nice surroundings and apparently a really interesting museum inside it. Sadly, we managed to pick the first day of winter schedule for our visit, so the museum was closed. We'll return in spring :)

Kay Ess (2 years ago)
Good for a walk around but expensive to enter. Tickets are 8 euros adult 4 kids. You can park nearby at the the top of Via Fantini. There are views of the lake from the bottom of the ramparts. A good place to begin a visit to the town.

Nina Melnic (2 years ago)
Very well maintained place, with nice panorama around and nice birds exposition in. But not too much to see if you're interested in more historical pieces of art... as well I saw there is possible to celebrate festivities.

Stian van der Meeren (3 years ago)
Amazing place! Such a beautiful place to host a wedding aswell

Richard Peake (3 years ago)
A beautiful venue for a wedding. Amazing views of the surrounding countryside and of course the Lake. The main reception hall is air-conditioned

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Infomastern

Historic Site of the week

Visby Cathedral

Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.

Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.

There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.