Desenzano del Garda

Desenzano del Garda (Brescian: Dezensà) is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy, on the southwestern shore of Lake Garda. It borders the communes of Castiglione delle Stiviere, Lonato, Padenghe sul Garda and Sirmione.

Desenzano del Garda

Dezensà
Comune
Comune di Desenzano del Garda
Desenzano Harbour
Location of Desenzano del Garda
Desenzano del Garda
Location of Desenzano del Garda in Italy
Desenzano del Garda
Desenzano del Garda (Lombardy)
Coordinates: 45°28′N 10°32′E
CountryItaly
RegionLombardy
ProvinceBrescia (BS)
FrazioniRivoltella, Vaccarolo, San Martino della Battaglia
Government
 • MayorGuido Malinverno (FI)
Area
 • Total60.10 km2 (23.20 sq mi)
Elevation
96 m (315 ft)
Population
 (2019)[2]
 • Total29,599
 • Density490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Desenzanesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
25015
Dialing code030
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Sometime in the first century, the area around lake Garda, including what is now Desenzano del Garda, became a favourite vacation spot for the Veronese élite, Verona being one of the largest Roman cities in northeastern Italy. On 24 June 1859, four divisions of Sardinian infantry fought a gruesome battle with elements of the Austrian Eighth corps, under Feldzeugmeister Ludwig von Benedek, in an engagement encompassing Madonna della Scoperta, Pozzolengo, and San Martino (as Desenzano del Garda was known). This action was part of the greater battle centered on Solferino, during the Second Italian War of Independence, and was a vital step in achieving Italian unification – unification that was gained only eleven years later.[3] During the Third Italian War of Independence, Desenzano was bombarded by the Austrian navy.

Notable residents

The Italian poet and librettist Angelo Anelli, who collaborated with Rossini in revising L'italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) from an earlier text by Luigi Mosca, and whose libretto, originally set by a different composer, became the basis for Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, was born in Desenzano del Garda in 1761.

Main sights
  • The Cathedral of St Mary Magdalene
  • The House of St Angela Merici
  • The Tower of St Martin (Torre di San Martino)
  • An archaeological museum (Museo Civico Archeologico)
  • Several old-style villas (Villa Romana) and a castle

Tourism

The city is a popular holiday destination in Southern Europe. It attracts myriad tourists from the immediate area owing to its beautiful view of the Alps from the southern shore of Lake Garda, its three large beaches (Desenzanino Beach, Spiagga d'Oro, and Porto Rivoltella Beach), and its 27 major hotels.

Desenzano is the heart of nightlife on the southern shore of Lake Garda, with several discos and pubs. In the summer, its main squares, Piazza Malvezzi and Piazza Matteotti, are crowded all night with young and partying people.

At the heart of the city is a series of interconnected piazze that house numerous open-air cafés, various shops, gelaterie (ice-cream parlours), and bars.

Transport

The city has a main port near the Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, from where several ferries operate. On the south-western outskirts of the city is a large railway station, the Desenzano del Garda-Sirmione railway station (Stazione Ferroviaria), which connects the city to the European railway system. Desenzano also has its own exit from the A4 motorway, the main road between Milan and Venice.

World heritage site

It is home to one or more prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements, which are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site.[4]

Municipal government

Desenzano is headed by a mayor (sindaco) assisted by a legislative body, the consiglio comunale, and an executive body, the giunta comunale. Since 1994 the mayor and members of the consiglio comunale are directly elected together by resident citizens, while from 1946 to 1994 the mayor was chosen by the legislative body. The giunta comunale is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called assessori. The offices of the comune are housed in a building usually called the municipio or palazzo comunale.

Since 1994 the mayor of Desenzano is directly elected by citizens, originally every four, then every five years. The current mayor is Guido Malinverno (FI), elected on 26 June 2017.

Mayor Term start Term end   Party
Massimo Rocca 28 June 1994 7 June 1998 PDS
Felice Anelli 7 June 1998 9 June 2002 FI
Fiorenzo Pienazza 9 June 2002 10 June 2007 DS
Felice Anelli 10 June 2007 21 May 2012 FI
Rosa Leso 21 May 2012 26 June 2017 PD
Guido Malinverno 26 June 2017 incumbent FI
  • Countryside around Desenzano
  • San Martino Tower
  • Sirmione peninsula and lake Garda seen from Desenzano
  • Castle in Desenzano
  • The lighthouse near the harbor
  • Desenzano harbor
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References
  1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Istat. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ISTAT Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Second War of Italian Independence, 1859–61". www.historyofwar.org. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  4. Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
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