Isola del Garda
| Native name: Isola Borghese | |
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The Venetian neogothic Villa Borghese Cavazza.
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| Geography | |
| Location | Lake Garda |
| Area | 0.07 km2 (0.027 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 88 m (289 ft) |
| Administration | |
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Italy
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| Region | Lombardy |
| Province | Brescia |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 10 (2001) |
Isola del Garda or Isola di Garda or Isola Borghese is the biggest island on Lake Garda. It is part of the comune of San Felice del Benaco, in the Province of Brescia, Lombardy, Italy. The island has a long and varied history, having been used as a Roman burial ground, pirate lair, a site for a Franciscan monastery, border fortification and as a residential villa. The island has been visited by numerous famous people over the centuries, reportedly including Francis of Assissi, Anthony of Padua and Dante Alighieri. Today, it is covered by a park and is dominated by the Venetian neogothic Villa Borghese Cavazza. Although privately owned by the Cavazza family, Isola del Garda has been open to visitors since 2001.
Isola del Garda is located in the southwest of Lake Garda, just south of the Gulf of Salò, close to the town of San Felice del Benaco, in Brescia province. It is separated from Capo San Fermo by only about 220 meters of open water. It is by far the largest island on the lake. The island (or actually islands, since Isola del Garda includes some small outcroppings of rock and most of the park is divided from the house by a narrow channel) was initially just rocks jutting out from the lake. All the soil for the gardens was brought in over time by the inhabitants. The island is around 1.1 km (0.7 mi) long, but only around 70 metres (230 feet) wide at the widest point. It is now mostly covered by a park and formal gardens with a large variety of plants.
The island has been known in turn as Insula Cranie ("Isle of Skulls"), Isola dei Frati ("Isle of Monks"), Isola Scotti, Isola Lechi, Isola de Ferrari and Isola Borghese. It has likely been inhabited since the Roman period. 130 Gallo-Roman tombstones found on the island indicate that it was at least used as a burial area at the time. Remains of votive temples have also been discovered. Reportedly, after having been abandoned during the period of decline of the Roman Empire, the island served for a long time as a hideout for pirates who preyed on the shipping on Lake Garda.
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Wikipedia