Around Tignale . Trips by car
1. Leave Tignale driving south until you reach Salò (about 40 mins.) where you can visit the Archaeological Museum Mucci (museo archeologico Mucchi).
Situated in the attractive area of the sixteenth century Coen building (Via Gerolamo Fantoni, 49), the Museum allows the visitor to follow a cognitive itinerary in two ways. The first illustrates the necropolis of Lugone in the context of the landscape and organisation of the territory in which Salò was part in the Roman era. The second permits the visitor to understand the deeper relationship between life and death via testimonies, ritual objects, funeral furnishings and money. With the possibility to produce three-dimensional images of the ancient landscape it is the ideal place to educate youngsters to discover and understand the past.
(Opening hours and costs: Monday to Friday from 10.00 a.m. to 12 mid-day. Entrance fee: €2,00. Further information and booking: Cultural Office, Comune of Salò, tel 0365 296827 cultura@comune.salo.bs.it)
Afterwards, drive with the car northwards until you arrive at Gardone Riviera (about 10 mins.) and follow the signs for the Vittoriale degli Italiani. This amazing architectural complex was the home of the Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio who left it to the Italians before he died. Work on the original house began in 1921 and continued after he died. In 1925 it was declared a national monument.
It occupies enormous grounds (9 hectares) in which there are a complex of buildings, squares, lanes and fountains; amongst which there is the house of the poet, called the Priory, the War Museum, the Mausoleum, the anti- submarine motorboat MAS, the ship Puglia donated by the Italian Navy and set on the side of a hill, an auditorium that houses the aircraft with which the poet made his famous flight over Vienna, the open air theatre, the design of which was inspired by ancient theatres, that could seats 1500 people. This was inaugurated in 1953 with the Theatre of the Scala Orchestra, Milan. Since then a programme of performances has been organised every July and August (Summer festival- Festival d’Estate).
After lunch in one of the many restaurants serving typical local dishes to be found along the western shore of the lake, drive further northwards to Toscolano Maderno (10 mins). Behind the Town Hall (Municipio) there is a fascinating nature walk along the Paper Mill Valley, (Valle delle Cartiere) of the Toscolano stream, where paper has been made since the fifteenth century..
A walk of extraordinary naturalistic interest takes you to the new much acclaimed Paper Museum (Museo della Carta) where you can follow a fascinating itinerary. The local authority, aware of the opportunity, organised a grand project using the whole area of the old mill. The project, that received considerable European funding, was finished in record time (2 years) with the help of the association of pensioners of the Toscolano paper mill. These then became associates of the new foundation “Fondazione Valle delle Cartiere 1381”, and are very active in the running of the Museum and in many other associated projects.
(For further information, opening hours and entrance fee see the internet site www.valledellecartiere.org)
After visiting the Museum return northwards to Tignale (25 mins.)
Via Europa, 5 - 25080 Tignale (BS), Lake Garda, Italy
Tel. and fax +39 0365 73354
info@tignale.org
P. Iva Associazione Pro Loco : 01875980987