Sights in Desenzano at Lake Garda, Italy

Cesare Battisti
Walk along the shoreline here to enjoy a wonderful view of the lake – and the motorboats which sometimes roar around the waters here at considerable speed.

Santa Maria Magdalena
Desenzano’s main church was built in the 16th century by architect Giulio Todeschini. The richer townspeople of Desenzano were able to afford the luxury of acquiring paintings by the best known artists of their times; hence the church features paintings, for example, by the likes of Zenone Veronese and Andrea Celesti. ‘The Last Supper’ by Giambattista Tiepolo (1696-1770) is a famous work.
Piazza Malvezzi

Villa Romana
The joiner Emanuele Zamboli was probably less than happy when he started to build his house in 1921 only to come across the remains of a 100 m² large Roman manor. It is considered to be an important example of this form of dwelling in northern Italy. Interesting features include the floor mosaics and cavity heating units, an early precursor of today’s underfloor heating systems.

Solferino and San Martino della Battaglia
The area around Lake Garda has repeatedly been the scene of bitter armed conflicts. Two of the worst battles took place at San Martino della Battaglia and Solferino. Both sites are located a few kilometres to the south of Desenzano. In 1859 the Risorgimento – the movement for a unified Italy – gained a victory here over the army of the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph, but left behind 25,000 dead on the battlefield. What’s more, and what was to make Solferino known throughout the world, 10,000 injured soldiers lay on the ground without anyone helping them at all. Swiss businessman Henri Dunant was so shocked by this sight that he went on to found the Red Cross, initially as a relief organisation for the war wounded. The 7,000 skulls preserved in the church of San Pietro in Solferino are a reminder of the horrors of war. A 74 m high commemoration tower rises up in San Martino; inside, the frescos tell the history of the Risorgimento.