Nago-Torbole
Encyclopedia
Nago-Torbole is a comune (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian
region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 30 km southwest of Trento
on the north shore of Lake Garda
. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,434 and an area of 28.4 km².
The municipality of Nago-Torbole contains the frazioni
(subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets
) Torbole (Turbel), Nago (Naag), and Tempesta.
Nago-Torbole borders the following municipalities: Arco, Riva del Garda
, Mori, Ledro
, Brentonico
, and Malcesine
.
. The lake, once only valuable to fishermen and traders, is still the most precious resource together with 2079 meter high Monte Baldo
, which was once a seemingly inexhaustible mine of firewood and game though now it is a protected area for its rare flora
, sometimes even endemic.
domination (1440–1510) is evident in the old harbor: a typical toll house
placed on a lake-front wharf
. During Austrian
domination (1810–1918), tourism grew during the Belle Époque
. Goethe, who stopped here in September 1786, described Torbole with enchantment and wonder. Since then the town has been known everywhere as a beloved aim for artists and painters, who have left us a large iconography
of the place. Although Torbole was on the frontier, it has always kept a certain Italian
atmosphere with its colored houses, large roofs that sheltered the galleries and often a typical threshing-floor in front of the houses. Torbole is typically lacustrine
and mediterranean, but along some higher streets the environment becomes more alpine
.
The village clings to the calcareous
rocks on the extreme north-west slope of Monte Baldo; it lies close to the mouth of the river Sarca
and its houses are set as an anphitheatre around the small bay, in front of Monte Rocchetta and the Ledro Alps.
This area was populated in prehistoric times and colonized during the Imperial Roman
times; it formed a community with Nago, castle residence of the Counts d'Arco. In 1439 Torbole witnessed an extraordinary event during the Third Lombard War (1438), between Milan
and Venice
. Venice dominated the eastern side of the lake (the Riviera). In order to gain supremacy on Lake Garda and help the Venetian mercenary Erasmo da Narni, called Gattamelata, in freeing Brescia
from the Milanese siege. The Venetians transported twenty-five boats and six galleys from the Adriatic Sea
up the River Adige until the fluvial
harbour of Mori. Here the boats were hauled on carts by strength of arm and with oxen, launched then into Lake Loppio and finally lowered from the slopes of Monte Baldo into Lake Garda at Torbole. This exploit cost 240 oxen and 15,000 ducats. In April 1440 the small Venetian fleet destroyed Visconti's fleet and conquered Riva del Garda
.
Torbole, even in the 15th century, was a stop for European travelers passing through on the Atesina road from Germany to Italy. Montaigne visited Torbole in 1580. Goethe arrived here from Rovereto
in the afternoon of 12 September 1786, four days after having crossed Brenner Pass
. Goethe was 37 years old and getting in touch with the blue expanse of Lake Garda and the silver olive-groves, he experienced for the first time the mild climate of the places extolled by the Classics, and he believed to have achieved happiness. Even the Brescian Cesare Arici, idyllic rural poet, exalted the "fishy Torbole". The extraordinary picturesque look of the village enticed several painters from the German romantic and late romantic world. The painter Hans Lietzmann, for example, bought a large olive grove
on the lake's shore (behind the Hotel Paradiso) and opened a school of nude art
; many talented painters were trained at this school. The actual tourist center evolved in the second half of the last century from an old village of fishermen, farmers and mountaineers, into a seasonal health-resort for European travellers, like the neighbouring Riva and Arco.
This resort is the capital of the Nago-Torbole district and appears on a bay, on the lake eastern shore. People coming from Nago, along the road descending to the lake by steep hairpin bends, can admire an incredibly fine sight. The house's roofs, gathered near to the shore, stand out from the green of the fields and create a chromatic contrast with lake Garda's water which reflects the deep blue sky tonalities.
church, which looks over the older part of Torbole: You would be well rewarded by the contemplation of an impressive sight and by a deeply mystic atmosphere that invites the guest to recollection and prayer. The Saint Andrea church, although quite modest, is held dear by the inhabitants of Torbole because it is a secular evidence of their history. The dedication of the apostle and fisherman Andrea indicates the ancient origins of the temple. The church was first mentioned in a document dated 1175. In 1183 the Pope Lucius III
(Italian: Lucio) assigned it, together with the surrounding olive grove, to the Cistercian Abbey
of Saint Lorenzo
in Trento. In 1497 some of the properties of the Church were given for the support of a priest who would look after of the Torbole Community. In 1741 the curate of Torbole has been founded and in 1839 the church was officially consecrated.
ARCHITECTONIC FEATURES - After being ravaged by French troops in 1703, the church was rebuilt in the Late Baroque style, but some architectural elements have been recovered. This is proven by the dates sculptured on the base of the two rocky arches of the transept
. From an artistic point of view the most important work of the whole church is the altar piece in the apse
. It represents the martyrdom of Saint Andrea and it is the masterpiece of the Verona artist Giambettino Cignaroli
(1706–1770). All the figures of the painting, really detailed and realistic, should have been conceived taking as models some inhabitants of Torbole. A painted vertical sundial
can be seen on the church's lake facing wall and on the opposite side is a small cemetery. The parish Saint Andrea church is divided into three naves
and keeps a fine wooden chorus. A significant element is the wonderful eighteenth century canvas made by Giambettino Cignaroli
representing the Saint Andrea martyr.
GOETHE ON LAKE GARDA ( Originally Published 1907 )
IN the autumn of the year 1786 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe made his first trip to Italy.
He came over the Brenner Pass, bound for Verona, but instead of continuing all the way
down the valley of the Adige
, he branched off at Rovereto
and came over to Lake Garda
by way of the Loppio Pass. Thus he set the fashion for subsequent tourists, who in later days make this crossing by the thousands every season, generally using the convenient narrow-gauge railroad from Mori to Arco and Riva for this purpose.
Goethe apparently did not visit Riva, but lodged at the inn in Torbole. In 1899 a delegate
from the Goethe Society of Vienna, accompanied by an official of the district of Riva,
visited Torbole for the purpose of determining the house in which the great poet must
actually have lodged. Following the indications furnished by a pencil sketch made by
Goethe himself, the investigators decided that the house in question could have been
none other than that of the brothers Alberti, standing on the small harbour-square of
Torbole, for in Goethe's day this house was the only inn of the place and was called the "Inn to the Rose." The Goethe Society has since affixed a tablet to the house in
commemoration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the poet's birth. It bears the
following inscription: "In questa casa dimoro Goethe il 12 Settembre, 1786. H'eute hab
ich an der Iphigenie gearbeitet, es ist im Angesichte des Sees gut von statten
gegangen." ("In this house lodged Goethe on 12 September 1786. To-day I
have worked on the Iphigenie, it has progressed finely in sight of the lake.") The latter
sentence is taken from Goethe's diary (Tagebücher). In a letter from Rome dated the 6th
of January, 1787, he likewise states: "I drew the first lines of the new work on Lake
Garda, as the powerful midday wind was driving the waves to the shore, where I was at
least as solitary as my heroine on the coast of Tauris." In his "Italian Journey" there are
some interesting letters descriptive of his impressions and experiences on Lake Garda. It
must be remembered in this connection that on this trip he was making his first personal
acquaintance with Italian life and scenery.
In a letter, dated "Torbole, 12 September, after dinner," we read :
Goethe spent the night of 12 September at Torbole, and next morning early
started down the lake by boat. The description of this trip is contained in a letter dated
"Malcesine
, 13 September, in the evening:
The desire to sketch the castle of Malcesine led Goethe into an amusing adventure,
which he relates at some length in a letter dated from Verona on 14 September.
It appears that he was quietly sketching the ruined castle the next morning when the
people of the place began to crowd around him suspiciously, and a man among them
suddenly seized the sketch and tore it in two. It must be remembered that at this time the
Republic of Venice was still in existence, and that Malcesine was a frontier post against
Austria on the north. The Podestà
(chief magistrate
) of the place, with his secretary,
were both summoned by the people. An amusing interrogatory took place,
Goethe explaining that he was sketching the tower because it was a ruin. But, objected
the Podestà, if it was a ruin, what was remarkable about it? Goethe set forth with much
good humour the value which foreigners set upon ruins as objects of artistic interest.
There was further discussion to and fro. Goethe was suspected of being a spy in the
service of the Austrian emperor, sent to make drawings of the frontier defences of the
Republic of Venice. Finally Goethe was led to declare himself a citizen of Frakfurt. At the mention of this name a young woman exclaimed that the Podestà should
call a certain Gregorio, who, it appeared, had been in employment in Frankfurt. Goethe
soon satisfied the authorities of Malcesine that he spoke the truth, both by his firsthand
knowledge of Frankfurt itself and also by describing to Gregorio certain people in
Frankfurt, notably some mutual acquaintances among the Italian families settled there.
As a result Goethe was given permission to go about at will over the whole place and
visit its surroundings under Gregorio's guidance.
Goethe left Malcesine that night by boat, taking with him a basket of fine fruit from
Gregorio's garden. He landed at Bardolino
, a place on the eastern shore near the
southern end of the lake, at 5 A. M., crossed over the mountains to Verona, and reached
that city about one o'clock of the same day.
Thus Goethe's acquaintance with Lake Garda, though brief and hardly worthy of the
name of sojourn, was yet full of zest, and is of special interest because it gave him his
first introduction into the ways and means of Italy.
s, by the Castelbanco's and by the Republic of Venice
(Serenissima Republic).
An element which excite naturalists and geologists, can be admired at the hairpin bends of the road that brings one to Nago: the so called Marmitte of the Giants (Italian: Marmitte dei Giganti) representing the tangible glacial era evidence of erosive phenomenon, which occurred when a wide glacier covered the territories.
Those so called Marmitte are nothing else then sunken glacial era wells, set out by the stones and glacial, quick whirling, detritus coming down from the superior layers.
All along the promenade of Torbole there is a pavement, 2 km long: At its ends there are the well-equipped public beaches: Conca d’oro, Parco Pavese and Villa Cian.
This ancient roman road was the line of communication between the lake and Adige Valley. You can reach Nago from the centre of Torbole skirting the spur of Penede Castle through a very charming environment of olive trees, vinyards and overhanging rocks.
It’s a marvellous rocky landscape that lies over Torbole; now covered by evergreens but once bare ruin of sliding rocks. From here you can easily reach Nago by the Tenin road.
Starting from Nago many signs follow one another which will lead you to the ruins of the Castle. A fixed course through the charming ruins of the manor will take you back to Nago. The castle ruins are currently off limits, but the signs and fences seem to stop few who wish to wander inside.
They are characteristic well-preserved erosions and also one of the most interesting and rare testimonies of the Ice Age
in the Alpine region.
Place with an exraordinary view where the tradition says that a tower of the ancient Castle of Torbole rose. From there you can carry on towards Nago following the old road at present very little used.
It starts from the Bridge on Sarca River and goes to Arco skirting the principal affluent that flows into lake Garda.
and game. The closeness of the lake though has enriched the tables of Torbole and Nago with really tasty fishes, such as the trout
, the pike, the perch
, the coregone and many others. Moreover the mild climate has favoured the cultivation of olive trees (probably the most northern of Italy) that produce a really pure oil, aromatic but delicate to the food it goes with. What about the so tasty fruit? The figs
, that even Goethe appreciated so much, the plum
s, the peach
es, the apples... All this fruit has grown in the best way in the Alto Garda microclimate
and has acquired a really particular, even unique flavour. Just think about the figs or as regards vegetables, the famous broccoli
of Torbole.
TYPICAL RECIPES: Bigoi co le aole (a lacustral fish) spaghetti
with sardelle (another kind of fish), the Zisam (aole-fish with onions) and the Peverada with luganeghe (a typical sausage) and polenta. A classic main course is carne salada e fasoi (a particular kind of meat served with beans). As a dessert a fregoloti cake made of almonds. Among gastronomic traditions we remind you of the sbigolada, a country fair with free bigoi and aole. It takes place both in Torbole as in Nago before Lent
.
This to introduce the delicious opportunity Garda Trentino visitors have of discovering the characteristics of the local cuisine linked to the typical products, to which are added the influences of the various surrounding regions and the historical tradition. Even the name of the area, "Garda Trentino", indicates how the local gastronomy is capable of alternating lacustrine flavors with the traditional dishes of the mountain communities. Next to the influence of recipes coming from the Lake Garda area and the Po valley
, there is also the strong presence of Tyrolean
traditions coming from the link with the Danubian monarchy that ruled in this area until 1918, in addition of a few traces of Bohemian
and Moravian
tastes due to the exodus of so many Trentino citizens to those regions during the First World War. All of these components, blended with the passionate will of the chefs, have given rise to a type of cuisine with its own precise features, coherent with its origins but at the same time modern and varied, fully capable of satisfying even the most demanding palates. It is both healthy, thanks to the ingredients used, and dietetic, thanks to the light and highly digestible delicacies it employs. In short, a refined art, capable of proposing ancient as well as new tastes.
The secrets of Alto Garda Trentino are kept by the winds that during every season unfurl a multitude of coloured sails. Winds with which men have been working and amusing themselves for ages.
It’s the most constant and famous wind. It blows on Torbole with a speed of 10–12 metres per second, starting during the first hours of the afternoon and lasting until the evening. It reaches Torbole from the south, after running through the whole length of the lake and here it causes a remarkable wave motion.
Also this one is a permanent and constant wind but it blows from the north during the whole night and in the morning. It doesn’t cause billows in Torbole.
It is often bound to sudden, violent stormy phenomena. It originates from the Ledro Valley and literally crashes on the Monte Baldo slope.
It comes downhill from Monte Ballino mostly during the winter and then it skirts the Western coast of the lake with a sometimes high vehemence.
Tel 505385 Fax 506080
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 30 km southwest of Trento
Trento
Trento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...
on the north shore of Lake Garda
Lake Garda
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age...
. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,434 and an area of 28.4 km².
The municipality of Nago-Torbole contains the frazioni
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
(subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets
Hamlets
Hamlets is the name of an open source system for generating web-pages originally developed by René Pawlitzek at IBM...
) Torbole (Turbel), Nago (Naag), and Tempesta.
Nago-Torbole borders the following municipalities: Arco, Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda is a town and comune in the northern Italian province of Trentino. It is also known simply as Riva. The estimated population is 15,151.- History :...
, Mori, Ledro
Ledro
Ledro is an Italian comune in Trentino in northern Italy. It was created on January 1, 2010 by the union of the former comuni of Pieve di Ledro, Bezzecca, Concei, Molina di Ledro, Tiarno di Sopra and Tiarno di Sotto.-History:...
, Brentonico
Brentonico
Brentonico is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 30 km southwest of Trento...
, and Malcesine
Malcesine
Malcesine is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 120 km northwest of Venice and about 40 km northwest of Verona.Malcesine lies on the shores of Lake Garda.-Main sights:...
.
Torbole
Torbole, at 67 metres above sea-level, is situated on the extreme north-western appendix of the Baldo chain and it is set as an amphitheatre on Lake GardaLake Garda
Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. It is located in Northern Italy, about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan. Glaciers formed this alpine region at the end of the last ice age...
. The lake, once only valuable to fishermen and traders, is still the most precious resource together with 2079 meter high Monte Baldo
Monte Baldo
Monte Baldo is a mountain in the Italian Alps, located in the provinces of Trentino and Verona. Its ridge spans mainly northeast-southwest, and is bounded from south by the highland ending at Caprino Veronese, from west by Lake Garda, from north by the valley joining Rovereto to Nago-Torbole and,...
, which was once a seemingly inexhaustible mine of firewood and game though now it is a protected area for its rare flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
, sometimes even endemic.
History of Torbole/Nago
VenetianRepublic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
domination (1440–1510) is evident in the old harbor: a typical toll house
Toll house
A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road or canal. Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th and early 19th centuries...
placed on a lake-front wharf
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
. During Austrian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
domination (1810–1918), tourism grew during the Belle Époque
Belle Époque
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque was a period in European social history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until World War I. Occurring during the era of the French Third Republic and the German Empire, it was a period characterised by optimism and new technological and medical...
. Goethe, who stopped here in September 1786, described Torbole with enchantment and wonder. Since then the town has been known everywhere as a beloved aim for artists and painters, who have left us a large iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
of the place. Although Torbole was on the frontier, it has always kept a certain Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
atmosphere with its colored houses, large roofs that sheltered the galleries and often a typical threshing-floor in front of the houses. Torbole is typically lacustrine
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
and mediterranean, but along some higher streets the environment becomes more alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
.
The village clings to the calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
rocks on the extreme north-west slope of Monte Baldo; it lies close to the mouth of the river Sarca
Sarca
The Sarca is a river springing from the Adamello-Presanella mountains in the Italian Alps and flowing into Lake Garda in Northern Italy. As an emissary of the lake it becomes known as the Mincio....
and its houses are set as an anphitheatre around the small bay, in front of Monte Rocchetta and the Ledro Alps.
This area was populated in prehistoric times and colonized during the Imperial Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times; it formed a community with Nago, castle residence of the Counts d'Arco. In 1439 Torbole witnessed an extraordinary event during the Third Lombard War (1438), between Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. Venice dominated the eastern side of the lake (the Riviera). In order to gain supremacy on Lake Garda and help the Venetian mercenary Erasmo da Narni, called Gattamelata, in freeing Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
from the Milanese siege. The Venetians transported twenty-five boats and six galleys from the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
up the River Adige until the fluvial
Fluvial
Fluvial is used in geography and Earth science to refer to the processes associated with rivers and streams and the deposits and landforms created by them...
harbour of Mori. Here the boats were hauled on carts by strength of arm and with oxen, launched then into Lake Loppio and finally lowered from the slopes of Monte Baldo into Lake Garda at Torbole. This exploit cost 240 oxen and 15,000 ducats. In April 1440 the small Venetian fleet destroyed Visconti's fleet and conquered Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda is a town and comune in the northern Italian province of Trentino. It is also known simply as Riva. The estimated population is 15,151.- History :...
.
Torbole, even in the 15th century, was a stop for European travelers passing through on the Atesina road from Germany to Italy. Montaigne visited Torbole in 1580. Goethe arrived here from Rovereto
Rovereto
Rovereto is a city and comune in Trentino in northern Italy, located in the Vallagarina valley of the Adige River.-History:Rovereto was an ancient fortress town standing at the frontier between the bishopric of Trento - an independent state until 1797 - and the republic of Venice, and later...
in the afternoon of 12 September 1786, four days after having crossed Brenner Pass
Brenner Pass
- Roadways :The motorway E45 leading from Innsbruck via Bolzano to Verona and Modena uses this pass, and is one of the most important north-south connections in Europe...
. Goethe was 37 years old and getting in touch with the blue expanse of Lake Garda and the silver olive-groves, he experienced for the first time the mild climate of the places extolled by the Classics, and he believed to have achieved happiness. Even the Brescian Cesare Arici, idyllic rural poet, exalted the "fishy Torbole". The extraordinary picturesque look of the village enticed several painters from the German romantic and late romantic world. The painter Hans Lietzmann, for example, bought a large olive grove
Olive Grove
Olive Grove was Sheffield Wednesday F.C.'s first permanent football ground, home to the club for just over a decade at the end of the 19th century...
on the lake's shore (behind the Hotel Paradiso) and opened a school of nude art
Art nude
An art nude is a work of art that takes the naked human form as its dominant subject. The term is used for painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media.-Western tradition:...
; many talented painters were trained at this school. The actual tourist center evolved in the second half of the last century from an old village of fishermen, farmers and mountaineers, into a seasonal health-resort for European travellers, like the neighbouring Riva and Arco.
This resort is the capital of the Nago-Torbole district and appears on a bay, on the lake eastern shore. People coming from Nago, along the road descending to the lake by steep hairpin bends, can admire an incredibly fine sight. The house's roofs, gathered near to the shore, stand out from the green of the fields and create a chromatic contrast with lake Garda's water which reflects the deep blue sky tonalities.
Saint Andrea church
It is not a waste of effort going up to the Saint AndreaSaint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
church, which looks over the older part of Torbole: You would be well rewarded by the contemplation of an impressive sight and by a deeply mystic atmosphere that invites the guest to recollection and prayer. The Saint Andrea church, although quite modest, is held dear by the inhabitants of Torbole because it is a secular evidence of their history. The dedication of the apostle and fisherman Andrea indicates the ancient origins of the temple. The church was first mentioned in a document dated 1175. In 1183 the Pope Lucius III
Pope Lucius III
Pope Lucius III , born Ubaldo, was pope from 1 September 1181 to his death.A native of the independent republic of Lucca, he was born ca. 1100 as Ubaldo, son of Orlando. He is commonly referred to as a member of the aristocratic family of Allucingoli, but this is not proven...
(Italian: Lucio) assigned it, together with the surrounding olive grove, to the Cistercian Abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of Saint Lorenzo
Saint Lawrence
Lawrence of Rome was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who were martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258.- Holy Chalice :...
in Trento. In 1497 some of the properties of the Church were given for the support of a priest who would look after of the Torbole Community. In 1741 the curate of Torbole has been founded and in 1839 the church was officially consecrated.
ARCHITECTONIC FEATURES - After being ravaged by French troops in 1703, the church was rebuilt in the Late Baroque style, but some architectural elements have been recovered. This is proven by the dates sculptured on the base of the two rocky arches of the transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
. From an artistic point of view the most important work of the whole church is the altar piece in the apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
. It represents the martyrdom of Saint Andrea and it is the masterpiece of the Verona artist Giambettino Cignaroli
Giambettino Cignaroli
Giambettino Cignaroli was an Italian painter of the Rococo and early Neoclassic period.He was born and died in Verona. He was a pupil of Santo Prunato and Antonio Balestra and active mostly in the area of the Veneto...
(1706–1770). All the figures of the painting, really detailed and realistic, should have been conceived taking as models some inhabitants of Torbole. A painted vertical sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
can be seen on the church's lake facing wall and on the opposite side is a small cemetery. The parish Saint Andrea church is divided into three naves
Navès
Navès is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.-Geography:The Thoré forms most of the commune's north-eastern border, then flows into the Agout, which forms part of its northern border.-References:*...
and keeps a fine wooden chorus. A significant element is the wonderful eighteenth century canvas made by Giambettino Cignaroli
Giambettino Cignaroli
Giambettino Cignaroli was an Italian painter of the Rococo and early Neoclassic period.He was born and died in Verona. He was a pupil of Santo Prunato and Antonio Balestra and active mostly in the area of the Veneto...
representing the Saint Andrea martyr.
Goethe's travel
In the end of the 1786 summer Goethe, starting his travel in Italy, stopped in Torbole, leaving in his writings a longing and passionate image of this place which is still now the best way to promote the resort to the large number of German guests. Between the most famous Torbole's tourist attraction we have to mention the memorial tablet and the Goethe image which are on the arcade of the building where Goethe was, there is also a Goethe's bust along the lake.GOETHE ON LAKE GARDA ( Originally Published 1907 )
IN the autumn of the year 1786 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe made his first trip to Italy.
He came over the Brenner Pass, bound for Verona, but instead of continuing all the way
down the valley of the Adige
Adige
The Adige is a river with its source in the Alpine province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland. At in length, it is the second longest river in Italy, after the River Po with ....
, he branched off at Rovereto
Rovereto
Rovereto is a city and comune in Trentino in northern Italy, located in the Vallagarina valley of the Adige River.-History:Rovereto was an ancient fortress town standing at the frontier between the bishopric of Trento - an independent state until 1797 - and the republic of Venice, and later...
and came over to Lake Garda
by way of the Loppio Pass. Thus he set the fashion for subsequent tourists, who in later days make this crossing by the thousands every season, generally using the convenient narrow-gauge railroad from Mori to Arco and Riva for this purpose.
Goethe apparently did not visit Riva, but lodged at the inn in Torbole. In 1899 a delegate
from the Goethe Society of Vienna, accompanied by an official of the district of Riva,
visited Torbole for the purpose of determining the house in which the great poet must
actually have lodged. Following the indications furnished by a pencil sketch made by
Goethe himself, the investigators decided that the house in question could have been
none other than that of the brothers Alberti, standing on the small harbour-square of
Torbole, for in Goethe's day this house was the only inn of the place and was called the "Inn to the Rose." The Goethe Society has since affixed a tablet to the house in
commemoration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the poet's birth. It bears the
following inscription: "In questa casa dimoro Goethe il 12 Settembre, 1786. H'eute hab
ich an der Iphigenie gearbeitet, es ist im Angesichte des Sees gut von statten
gegangen." ("In this house lodged Goethe on 12 September 1786. To-day I
have worked on the Iphigenie, it has progressed finely in sight of the lake.") The latter
sentence is taken from Goethe's diary (Tagebücher). In a letter from Rome dated the 6th
of January, 1787, he likewise states: "I drew the first lines of the new work on Lake
Garda, as the powerful midday wind was driving the waves to the shore, where I was at
least as solitary as my heroine on the coast of Tauris." In his "Italian Journey" there are
some interesting letters descriptive of his impressions and experiences on Lake Garda. It
must be remembered in this connection that on this trip he was making his first personal
acquaintance with Italian life and scenery.
In a letter, dated "Torbole, 12 September, after dinner," we read :
"How much I wished to have my friends for a moment near me in order that they might
rejoice over the view which lies before me."
"Tonight I might have been in Verona, but there was still a glorious work of nature at my
side, a precious spectacle, the Lake of Garda; I did not wish to miss it, and am gloriously
rewarded for my détour. It was after five when I drove away from Roveredo (Rovereto_, up
a side valley which sends its waters into the Etsch (Adige). When one reaches the top an
enormous rock formation lies in front, over which it is necessary to go down to the lake.
Here the most beautiful of limestone rocks exhibited them-selves for artistic studies.
When one reaches the bottom, there lies a little place at the northern end of the lake, with
a small harbour, or, rather, a landing-place; it is called Torbole. Fig-trees had already
frequently' accompanied me on the way up, and as I descended into the amphitheatre of
rock, I found the first olive-trees full of olives. Here also for the first time I found the small
pale figs as a common fruit which the Countess Lanthieri had promised."
"Out of the room in which I am sitting, a door leads into the court below; I have moved my
table in front of it and sketched the view in a few lines. One overlooks the lake almost for
its entire extent; only at the end on the left does it escape the eye. The shore, enclosed
on both sides by hills and mountains, shines with countless villages. After midnight the
wind blows from north to south; whoever wishes to go down the lake must start at this
time; for already a few hours before sunrise the wind changes and blows toward the
north. Now in the afternoon it is blowing strongly against me and cooling the warm sun
very pleasantly. At the same time Volkmann teaches me that this lake was formerly called
Benacus, and invites attention to a verse of Virgil in which it is mentioned: Fluctibus et
fremitu resonans Benace marino. The first Latin verse of which the subject actually
stands before me! At this moment, when the wind is constantly growing stronger and the
lake is dashing ever higher waves against the landing-place, this verse is to-day still as
true as it was many centuries ago. Much has changed, but the wind still storms over the
lake, and its sight is still ennobled by a line of Virgil."
Goethe spent the night of 12 September at Torbole, and next morning early
started down the lake by boat. The description of this trip is contained in a letter dated
"Malcesine
Malcesine
Malcesine is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 120 km northwest of Venice and about 40 km northwest of Verona.Malcesine lies on the shores of Lake Garda.-Main sights:...
, 13 September, in the evening:
"This morning early, at three o'clock, I left Torbole with the rowers. At first the wind was
favourable, so that they could use the sails. The morning was glorious, though cloudy,
and quiet at sunrise. We rowed past Limone, whose hill gardens, laid out in ter-races and
planted with lemon-trees, presented a rich and neat appearance. The whole gar-den
consists of rows of square white pillars, which stand at regular distances from each other
and rise up the mountain slope in steps. Over these pillars strong beams are laid in order
during the winter to cover the trees which are planted between. The observation and
examination of these pleasant objects was favoured by a slow trip, and so we had
already passed Malcesine when the wind turned completely around, took its ordinary
direction by day and blew toward the north. Rowing was of little use against the
overwhelming power, and so we had to make a landing in the harbour of Malcesine. It is
the first Venetian place on the eastern side of the lake. When one has to do with water,
one cannot say: ` To-day I shall be here or there.' This sojourn I shall employ as best I
may, especially in making a drawing of the castle which lies near the water and is a
beautiful object. To-day in passing by I made a sketch of it."
The desire to sketch the castle of Malcesine led Goethe into an amusing adventure,
which he relates at some length in a letter dated from Verona on 14 September.
It appears that he was quietly sketching the ruined castle the next morning when the
people of the place began to crowd around him suspiciously, and a man among them
suddenly seized the sketch and tore it in two. It must be remembered that at this time the
Republic of Venice was still in existence, and that Malcesine was a frontier post against
Austria on the north. The Podestà
Podestà
Podestà is the name given to certain high officials in many Italian cities, since the later Middle Ages, mainly as Chief magistrate of a city state , but also as a local administrator, the representative of the Emperor.The term derives from the Latin word potestas, meaning power...
(chief magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
) of the place, with his secretary,
were both summoned by the people. An amusing interrogatory took place,
Goethe explaining that he was sketching the tower because it was a ruin. But, objected
the Podestà, if it was a ruin, what was remarkable about it? Goethe set forth with much
good humour the value which foreigners set upon ruins as objects of artistic interest.
There was further discussion to and fro. Goethe was suspected of being a spy in the
service of the Austrian emperor, sent to make drawings of the frontier defences of the
Republic of Venice. Finally Goethe was led to declare himself a citizen of Frakfurt. At the mention of this name a young woman exclaimed that the Podestà should
call a certain Gregorio, who, it appeared, had been in employment in Frankfurt. Goethe
soon satisfied the authorities of Malcesine that he spoke the truth, both by his firsthand
knowledge of Frankfurt itself and also by describing to Gregorio certain people in
Frankfurt, notably some mutual acquaintances among the Italian families settled there.
As a result Goethe was given permission to go about at will over the whole place and
visit its surroundings under Gregorio's guidance.
Goethe left Malcesine that night by boat, taking with him a basket of fine fruit from
Gregorio's garden. He landed at Bardolino
Bardolino
Bardolino is a comune in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, located about 130 km west of Venice and about 25 km northwest of Verona....
, a place on the eastern shore near the
southern end of the lake, at 5 A. M., crossed over the mountains to Verona, and reached
that city about one o'clock of the same day.
Thus Goethe's acquaintance with Lake Garda, though brief and hardly worthy of the
name of sojourn, was yet full of zest, and is of special interest because it gave him his
first introduction into the ways and means of Italy.
Penede castle
A pleasant walk brings one to the ruins of Penede castle, which was destroyed in the eighteenth century. It had been owned by the Arco earlEarl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
s, by the Castelbanco's and by the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
(Serenissima Republic).
Marmitte glacial era wells
Those so called Marmitte are nothing else then sunken glacial era wells, set out by the stones and glacial, quick whirling, detritus coming down from the superior layers.
Walks
- PROMENADE
All along the promenade of Torbole there is a pavement, 2 km long: At its ends there are the well-equipped public beaches: Conca d’oro, Parco Pavese and Villa Cian.
- S. LUCIA ROMAN ROAD
This ancient roman road was the line of communication between the lake and Adige Valley. You can reach Nago from the centre of Torbole skirting the spur of Penede Castle through a very charming environment of olive trees, vinyards and overhanging rocks.
- BUSATTE ZONE
It’s a marvellous rocky landscape that lies over Torbole; now covered by evergreens but once bare ruin of sliding rocks. From here you can easily reach Nago by the Tenin road.
- PENEDE CASTLE
Starting from Nago many signs follow one another which will lead you to the ruins of the Castle. A fixed course through the charming ruins of the manor will take you back to Nago. The castle ruins are currently off limits, but the signs and fences seem to stop few who wish to wander inside.
- GIANTS’ POT-HOLES
They are characteristic well-preserved erosions and also one of the most interesting and rare testimonies of the Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
in the Alpine region.
- TORBOLE BELVEDERE AND NAGO FORTRESS
Place with an exraordinary view where the tradition says that a tower of the ancient Castle of Torbole rose. From there you can carry on towards Nago following the old road at present very little used.
- TORBOLE-ARCO CYCLE TRACK
It starts from the Bridge on Sarca River and goes to Arco skirting the principal affluent that flows into lake Garda.
Gastronomic tradition
THE LOCAL GASTRONOMIC TRADITION is based on some typical elements of the Trentino simple plain fare such as polentaPolenta
Polenta is a dish made from boiled cornmeal. The word "polenta" is borrowed from Italian.-Description:Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal , which can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the region and the texture desired.As it is known today, polenta derives from earlier...
and game. The closeness of the lake though has enriched the tables of Torbole and Nago with really tasty fishes, such as the trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, the pike, the perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, the coregone and many others. Moreover the mild climate has favoured the cultivation of olive trees (probably the most northern of Italy) that produce a really pure oil, aromatic but delicate to the food it goes with. What about the so tasty fruit? The figs
FIGS
FIGS is an acronym for French, Italian, German, Spanish. These are usually the first four languages chosen to localize products into when a company enters the European market....
, that even Goethe appreciated so much, the plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
s, the peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es, the apples... All this fruit has grown in the best way in the Alto Garda microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
and has acquired a really particular, even unique flavour. Just think about the figs or as regards vegetables, the famous broccoli
Broccoli
Broccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable.-General:The word broccoli, from the Italian plural of , refers to "the flowering top of a cabbage"....
of Torbole.
TYPICAL RECIPES: Bigoi co le aole (a lacustral fish) spaghetti
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water. Italian dried spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but outside of Italy it may be made with other kinds of flour...
with sardelle (another kind of fish), the Zisam (aole-fish with onions) and the Peverada with luganeghe (a typical sausage) and polenta. A classic main course is carne salada e fasoi (a particular kind of meat served with beans). As a dessert a fregoloti cake made of almonds. Among gastronomic traditions we remind you of the sbigolada, a country fair with free bigoi and aole. It takes place both in Torbole as in Nago before Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
.
This to introduce the delicious opportunity Garda Trentino visitors have of discovering the characteristics of the local cuisine linked to the typical products, to which are added the influences of the various surrounding regions and the historical tradition. Even the name of the area, "Garda Trentino", indicates how the local gastronomy is capable of alternating lacustrine flavors with the traditional dishes of the mountain communities. Next to the influence of recipes coming from the Lake Garda area and the Po valley
Po Valley
The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain is a major geographical feature of Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of 46,000 km² including its Venetic extension not actually related to the Po River basin; it runs from the Western Alps to the...
, there is also the strong presence of Tyrolean
Tyrolean
Tyrolean may refer to:* Anything from Tyrol* Tyrolean Aerial Tramway* Tyrolean Airways* Tyrolean hat* Tyrolean traverse, mountaineering manoeuvre* Tyrolean Hound* A type of cement render, applied by a hand-operated machine...
traditions coming from the link with the Danubian monarchy that ruled in this area until 1918, in addition of a few traces of Bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
and Moravian
Moravians (ethnic group)
Moravians are the modern West Slavic inhabitants of the historical land of Moravia, the easternmost part of the Czech Republic, which includes the Moravian Slovakia. They speak the two main groups of Moravian dialects , the transitional Bohemian-Moravian dialect subgroup and standard Czech...
tastes due to the exodus of so many Trentino citizens to those regions during the First World War. All of these components, blended with the passionate will of the chefs, have given rise to a type of cuisine with its own precise features, coherent with its origins but at the same time modern and varied, fully capable of satisfying even the most demanding palates. It is both healthy, thanks to the ingredients used, and dietetic, thanks to the light and highly digestible delicacies it employs. In short, a refined art, capable of proposing ancient as well as new tastes.
Winds
We have to mention, at last, Torbole for its importance for sailing sports: it is because of the good and constant blowing of the winds on this portion of the lake.The secrets of Alto Garda Trentino are kept by the winds that during every season unfurl a multitude of coloured sails. Winds with which men have been working and amusing themselves for ages.
- ORA
It’s the most constant and famous wind. It blows on Torbole with a speed of 10–12 metres per second, starting during the first hours of the afternoon and lasting until the evening. It reaches Torbole from the south, after running through the whole length of the lake and here it causes a remarkable wave motion.
- PELER
Also this one is a permanent and constant wind but it blows from the north during the whole night and in the morning. It doesn’t cause billows in Torbole.
- PONALE
It is often bound to sudden, violent stormy phenomena. It originates from the Ledro Valley and literally crashes on the Monte Baldo slope.
- BALINOT
It comes downhill from Monte Ballino mostly during the winter and then it skirts the Western coast of the lake with a sometimes high vehemence.
Torbole sailing Club
The Torbole sailing Club was born in 1964 and it now counts 300 members. It is one of the most important and famous clubs both in Italy as in Europe. All its regattas are considered international because of the constant participation of Olympic champions and complete national teams. The secrets of such a success are certainly to be searched for in Torbole, with its constant winds and its enviable position, but above all in an organization that, according to what everybody says, is always flawless. Tel 505600 Fax 506076Torbole Windsurfing Club
The Torbole Windsurfing Club was born in 1979 and it now counts 250 members, among which champions as Cantagalli, Comerlati, Moretti, Sensini. It is seated in the villa on the central beach of Torbole. The Club really helps the worldwide fame of windsurfing on Lake Garda with a calendar full of national and international competitions (such as the Professional Worldcup in 1988, 1992 and 2006).The Torbole Windsurfing Club is a usual meeting place for Italian and European champions and it is probably the most well known among the lacustral Clubs.Tel 505385 Fax 506080
External links & Webcams
- Torbole Lake Garda
- www.gardatrentino.it
- www.onbenaco.com/webcam.html
- Italian Wikipedia entry on Nago-Torbole