Info/The Places
Galleria Civica G. Segantini - Arco
The Galleria Civica G. Segantini is located in the 17th-century Palazzo dei Panni built by Giovambattista d’Arco. In the late 1700s, a wool mill was set up in the Palazzo, which gave the building its name of Palazzo dei Panni (Cloths Building). Situated in the halls on the ground floor, the Gallery named after artist Giovanni Segantini (Arco, 1858 - Schafberg, 1899) contains a series of exhibits that are connected by the intention of studying the local area as an historic site, discovering its history through the artistic personalities whom it has more or less inf uenced or inspired. It also provides a place of comparison for future analysis and interpretations on the aesthetic structure of the landscape.
The Castle
The Castle, which can be reached from an olive grove, is located on a tall cliff overlooking the plain that extends to Lake Garda. It dates back to the Middle Ages, even though archeological relics found at various times would indicate that people had lived in the area before. Surviving from the former structure are parts of buildings and prominent towers, a water tank, and a beautiful hall of frescoes - dating back to the 1300s - with scenes of life at court and games between dames and knights sitting at chessboards.
The Arboretum
The Arboretum at Arco is part of the old Park created by Archduke Albert von Hapsburg at the Archducal Villa around 1872. In the 1960s, “miniature landscapes of plants” were created that suggest the original settings of plants. Thanks to the mild climate in upper Garda, more than 150 species of trees and bushes from around the world grow in the Arboretum, with Mediterranean and subtropical plants being the most prevalent.
Caproni Wood
Located north of the hamlets of Massone and San Martino, the “Bosco Caproni” (Caproni Wood) has an area of 44 hectares. The hill is surrounded by very steep walls that host a variety of plants and rocks in landscapes that reflect an ancient geological history. Inside the Wood, there are beautiful quarries of oolith, which has been used as stone for statues until the 1800s.
Nago, Forte Superiore
The exhibition rooms are situated on the ground floor of the fort. Its construction dates back to 1860- 1861, the time of the first generation forts called non armed “casamatta”. The fort had eight embrasures on the ground floor and six on the second floor and was also equipped with a series of loop-holes for riflemen, two fortresses placed at different levels and connected by a thick wall and a flight of steps, with the powder magazine placed at half-way. Its defensive “bocche di lupo” kept under control all the Upper Garda and the Saint Giovanni Pass, being integrant part of the Festungabschnitt or southern stronghold of Riva under archduke Eugen’s orders.
Riva del Garda, la Rocca
The Rocca of Riva del Garda was built in the 12 century following an agreement reached between the prince-bishop of Trento, Altemanno, and the citizens of Riva. In the 14th century, under the reign of the Scaligeri, the Venetian lords of Lake Garda, it underwent a great phase of rebuilding, coming to resemble the typical structure of the fortified buildings in the Lake area, such as those found in Lasize, Peschiera and Sirmione. To this day, that architectural vision may still be seen in its four corner towers, of which one is taller than the others and looks over the lake, and with an internal courtyard. It is currently home to the Museum, with its permanent sections on archaeology, history and the art gallery, as well as a temporary exhibition display area.