SIRMIONE: 4,000 YEARS BETWEEN SKY AND LAKE

Walking along beautiful shores steeped in history

Sirmione, the pearl of islands and peninsulas,
and of all those Neptune holds
between crystal-clear lakes and vast seas:
with what pleasure and joy I return to see you again
I can hardly believe,
Thynia and Bithynian fields have gone
to find myself in you again, safe.
Oh, what better
when the heart lays down its former cares
and, weary of the journey to foreign lands
we return to our hearth
and we take to our longed-for bed?
It is the only joy after so much pain.
Hail, lovely Sirmione, celebrate your master,
and rejoice, ye waves of Lake Lydia,
Laugh, and rejoice all things in your house.

Thus Catullus sang of the beloved peninsula stretching into the blue belly of Lake Garda. Here, evidence of the enormous villa of the Valerii survives, and a fresco has been found here that eternalises the image of the love poet from the 1st century BC. C. Even then, ‘Sirmio‘ was synonymous with enchantment and opulent beauty.

A strip of land with ancient walls rising out of the water

On foot or by car to the heart of the lake

A thin peninsula slips into the emerald heart of Lake Garda: there it widens into a land of lush nature and timeless charm. It is no wonder that for four millennia Sirmione has attracted a wide range of different settlers. From Bronze Age pile dwellings to medieval fortifications via Roman, Lombard or Venetian remains, it has always provided a safe haven, with all the mysticism and charm of a place created by the elements. A combination of earth, water, sky and wind.

 

Infinite memories stone by stone

Holiday resort of Roman aristocracy

At the foot of one of the three hills that rise up from the infinity of the lake, the huge walls of the “Grottoes of Catullus” survive: they are the enormous foundations of a villa that must have left every visitor open-mouthed in awe. Almost two hectares. This is why it is the most impressive archaeological site in northern Italy. Now its pinkish stones bear silent witness to mysteries amidst shining cliffs and verdant olive trees, by night observing the Dioscuri, lovers, and the legendary tears of the Sirmionese Quinzia. On the ancient Via Gallia, a place of mansiones ready to receive imperial dignitaries, the peninsula was the prerogative of select, noble Roman families who spent their lives here in elitist retreats.

From the fall of the Roman Empire to the Lombards

At the time of the developments that led to the disintegration of the empire, Sirmione still stood out for its prosperity and splendour. Behind it, the ancient primeval forest of ‘Lugana’ was the scene of military exploits. It was here that Constantine fought Maxentius in 312 A.D. and, a little more than a century later, Pope Leo the Great begged Attila to return to the deep north.

Here, the Lombards swept in at the end of the 6th century and even the noble Sirmione succumbed to the long spears. Of them, after their conversion, four churches conceal, along with the almost lost necropolis, the memory of King Desiderius and that Adelchi who was defeated by Charlemagne. Thus the Lombard kingdom died and the disowned Ermengarde became a legend. The young queen died in the cloistered recesses of San Salvatore in Brescia, entering history and, with Manzoni, becoming a dramatic heroine of love.

The Last Cathar Mystery

Among the many secrets kept in its holy places, ‘Sirmio’ conceals perhaps the ultimate mystery and the true treasure of the Cathars. And there is much more to it than an empty legend. Where today lie sun-broken stones and a rocky ridge, was once the splendid fortress of Montsegur, the last Albigensian bastion. It was from there that the four ‘Perfecti’ departed at night, charged with the task of securing from the clutches of the crusaders that unique object that could have shaken the foundations of the whole of Christendom.

Where were they headed? More than one clue sees Sirmione as their final destination. Indeed, some of the most important fugitive bishops were hosted here and, in nearby Desenzano, John of Lugio, the greatest Cathar theologian, was already preaching. The lake was also a natural source of fish, the main, if not only, food accepted by the heretical doctrine, while the clashes between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines chose Lake Garda as a decisive ‘free zone’ of papal control.

What is certain is that shortly before the surrender, numerous dispatches were exchanged with the Garda area and, with the beginning of the desperate diaspora, numerous survivors found shelter in the Roman ruins of Sirmione. Here they lived in hiding for about three decades, hidden and protected by the locals. Here, in some of the churches in the town, traces and symbols survive that seem to leave no doubt: Sirmione is inextricably linked to the fatal and secret fate of the Cathars.

The high crenellated castle, fatal lord of the water

A fairytale castle dominates the ancient village of Sirmione. Its walls, which dominate the water’s edge, are the result of three separate interventions by the Scaligeri lords of Verona, between the 13th and the 14th centuries, when the dock was also fortified. In addition to the fine towers, deep courtyards, drawbridges and guard walks, there might also have been the garrison chapel at the fortress. According to local belief, it houses a fresco of St Anne and Mary’s mother.

With the Della Scala family gone, Sirmione was fought over between Milan and Venice. Ultimately, the Serenissima took control and ruled over that precious and beautiful, historic peninsula throughout the Renaissance. This is how it would be until first the era of the Napoleonic dream and then that of the libertarians, right up until unification.

A journey into beauty

Today, Sirmione evokes entire millennia stone by stone, but between them, along the interstices of Roman pavements and between the rough medieval walls, behind the marble and along the sparkling shores, it weaves and preserves unexplored mysteries. Above them all is sunshine, soft branches cradled by the wind and infinite silences. Make sure you succumb to its innate charm at least once in your life.

You can enjoy the beauty of Sirmione at any time of year and, to protect your skin or look your best in any situation, make sure you take advantage of the beneficial effects of the Secretum Gardae products, inspired by nature and the knowledge of the lake.