Bardolino’s historical notes

The origins of Bardolino can be traced back to the Italic pile-dwelling civilization, which left many traces.

It is also believed that this region could have been populated by the Romans, thanks to the discover of headstones, coins and sculptures.

After the fall of the roman emperor, the area of Bardolino was invaded and dominated by different ethnic groups, from the Lombards to the Goths, from Visigoths to French.

At the end of the IX century, Bardolino – as the other lake countries – had to gear up to defend itself by enemies attacks, building walls and castles.

In 1100 the country became independent common and in 1222 it was established a constitution for the exclusive fishing rights on the common waterside for the fishermen families, who had the possibility to build a series of villages in the territory (even said “comb”).

The country was controlled by two different signories; that of the Scaligeri and following the Visconti. From 1405 to 1797, under the power of the Serenissima Republic of Venice, Bardolino saw a great period of strong growth, destabilized anyway by the continuous battles in the lake water among Venice and Visconti.

In 1798 the region fell under the Austrian domination, included the territory of the Veneto Republic, succeeding in a second time under the control of the Lombard Reign of Veneto and for a brief period to the Italian Reign of Napoleon.

In 1848 Bardolino raised against the Austrian troops, suffering lootings, fires and firing squads, which ended only in 1866 thanks to the reunification of the Reign of Italy.

Bardolino historical centre

The central part of the common of Bardolino is composed by buildings and fishermen’ houses, everyone closed to each other, creating a sort of “fishbone” shape. To facilitate the transport of the fishing boats, the major part of the street was perpendicularly planned from the houses to the lake waterside.

Today the paved roads still decorated by flowers embody a wide range of souvenir shops, pubs and restaurants, creating a new atmosphere and a touristic attitude.

Bardolino - The castle

At the end of IX century, subsequently to the authorization of the King Berengario, it was erected a castle, forcing the lake population to build protection fortresses. During the successive period the castle was continuously renovated and rebuilt.

The topography of Bardolino was visible as far back as in the maps of 1439, in the state archives of Venice: the square enclosure opens on the lake side, fortified by four towers along the sides and two doors, called Porta San Giovanni in the north and Porta Verona in the south part of the country.

Bardolino – The Church of San Zeno

This church, situated strictly out of the ancient walls of the country, is structured by clear affinities with the Mausoleum of Galla Placida in the region of Ravenna, which confers to Bardolino a great historical and artistic patrimony.

It represents one of the most important ancient monuments of Carolingian origins in Italy. The planimetry of the church has a Latin cross design with barrel vault. The most revealing rests of the decorations are located in the lateral daises.

Church of San Severo

Walking through the historical ways of Bardolino, you can also visit the Church of San Severo; even though its Romanic style of the XII century, it is thought than the origin core of the building arises to 893 AC.

The beautiful frontal side is composed by a small porch with a cusp form, built to protect the entrance and the campanile. Inside the church you will be able to admire the frescos of XII – XIV century and a crypt, situated in the original medieval centre of the structure.

What to do in Bardolino

Bardolino offers attractions for all the types of tourists, from the sport fans to the families, from the food lovers to cultural events visitors. Our guests can enjoy a sunny day trying new activities like canoeing, sailing and windsurfing, or relaxing and sunbathing on the nice beaches and swimming in the fresh waters of the lake.

The charming restaurants propose different menus, including ancient receipts rich of local ingredients, from the fresh lake fish to the home-grown vegetables of our hills, seasoned with the excellent olive oil of Garda, said to be the best in Italy. All accompanied by a tasty and elegant glass of wine Bardolino.

For the youngest, Bardolino offers all types of fun, beginning the evening with an aperitif in one of the fashionable pubs of the centre, tasting with friends the delicious drinks served by our professional bartenders and continuing the night at Hollywood, one of the most famous dancing clubs of the north Italy.

What to see in the surrounding areas

For those who love culture and art cities, this beautiful region disposes of a lot of points of interest, starting from the fantastic Verona, at about 30 km from Bardolino. The city of the Romeo and Juliet, celebrated for its artistic tourism attitude, offers different attraction, like the lyric summer season in the Arena.

Instead, if you would like to have pleasant and relaxing moments through characteristic ancient villages, we recommend a funny trip in the north of Bardolino to visit Punta San Vigilio, Torri del Benaco or Malcesine, also reachable by nice panoramic boat tours.

By ferry or by car you’ll be able to arrive on the Lombard side of Garda Lake, visiting the fascinating localities of Salò, Desenzano, Limone sul Garda and Sirmione.