Things to do in Calvisano Italy – what to see attractions and activities

The Bonoris Castle of Montichiari was built around 1107, on the hill of San Pancrazio. In the middle of the 17th century the building was abandoned, and in 1862 most of the walls collapsed. In 1891 Count Bonoris decided to restructure the castle himself, with the help of Carlo Menchiotti. In 1996 the building was repurchased by the Municipality of Montichiari.

South of Lonato, lies the "Furnace of Eddies", where recently were found six Roman brickworks. They seem to bear witness to the presence of an important craft complex, dating to the 1st-2nd century AD, that has probably supplied building material for the construction of several buildings and villas in the neighboring territory.

The Mazzucchelli Museums consist of the Museum of Fashion and Costume, Wine and Corkscrew Museum and the Giammaria Mazzucchelli House Museum. The Wine and Corkscrew Museum offers the public a large collection of 2000 pieces among vintage corkscrews and other objects concerning wine cultivation. Of great interest are also the panels that illustrate the techniques and the various phases of cultivation and processing until you reach the last phase, that of bottling wine.

Example of Baroque architecture, built on a project by the Lonatese Paolo Soratini. The aerial dome and the façade decorated with marble elements are remarkable. In 1980 he received from the Pope the title of Basilica Minor. It is enriched inside by frescoes, stuccoes and altarpieces by Venetian authors, including Balestra, Cignaroli and Licino.

The Civic Tower is one of the historical and characteristic monuments of the city of Lonato. The construction was started in 1555 and featured an onion dome, then modified to a short overbuilding adorned with battlements. Characteristic was the hammer sound of the bells that regulated the life of the Lonatesi.

The Casa del Podestà Museum - Fondazione “Ugo da Como” was founded around the fifteenth century and together with the Rocca complex and the former prisons constitutes the buildings managed by the homonymous Foundation. The Museum has approximately 52,000 volumes and several manuscripts and prints. Of particular interest are the letters of Ugo Foscolo dedicated to Countess Marzia Martinengo and several drawings by Tiepolo.

The Rocca di Lonato dates back to the tenth century, when it was built on top of the relief of the morainic amphitheater in the center of Lonato del Garda. Its function was to defend and protect the surrounding city. Under the management of the Visconti, the walls were extended to the inhabited village. After passing ownership to the Gonzaga and the Republic of Venice, since 1920 the structure has been managed by Ugo Da Como and its Foundation.

The Ornithological Civic Museum was inaugurated in 1996. It exhibits about three hundred specimens that are part of the Collection of the Municipality of Lonato, purchased in 1979 by the “Don Calabria” Institute. The museum structure expanded in 2000 with the addition of windows with Brazilian birds and migratory birds from Lake Garda.

Villa Fenaroli was built in the sixteenth century and restored during the 18th-19th century by great architects such as Emilio Alemagna and Giovanni Battista Marchetti. In the nineteenth century the villa passed to the Lagorio family. During World War II this was used as a German gendarmerie center. Since 2006, after having undergone some restorations, the villa was transformed into a luxury hotel.

At the museum there is a large collection of miniature trains: from the first models built to the recent ones. Inside, we can find a variety of trains: about five thousand models. A collection of American models should be highlighted.

The Castle of Drugolo or Castello Averoldi was built before the year 1000 with the main function of a convent. The first owner is believed to be Rataldo Averoldo to whom the building was donated by Ottone I of Germany. Below he passed into ownership of different families until he reached the Barons Della Quara, who still own it today. The Castle has a square plan divided into different floors and with drawbridge at its entrance.

The ancient Abbey of Maguzzano at the end of the 8th century stood on a Roman road. In 1491 it was entrusted to the monastery of S. Benedetto in Polirone and was adorned by the Risorgimento Church and the elegant cloister. The church preserves an Altarpiece, the work of the Moretto school.