Valeggio sul Mincio

On the borders between the two regions of Lombardy and Veneto, Valeggio is in a natural amphitheatre formed by the morainic hills which embrace the southern part of Lake Garda, to then gently slope down towards the Padana Plain. The Mincio Valley, which crosses the area from north to south, opens to some very lovely landscapes where the rivers flow between bights and reed thickets, refuge for numerous different types of birds. Valeggio economy is based on its flourishing agriculture, long-standing craftsmanship traditions and growing industrial activity, and over the last decade it has reconfirmed its fame as a popular tourist resort as well. In fact, apart from its beautiful landscape and artistic wealth, gaining it the acknowledgement as a City of Art, Valeggio is also famous for its excellent cuisine. The beautiful countryside, the vicinity of Lake Garda and the art cities of Verona and Mantova bring thousands of visitors to Valeggio every year, to admire its natural beauty and to savour the typical local wine and food traditions. In these lands that used to be contended by the Scaligero and Gonzaga families, Valeggio has always been an important crossroads throughout history and clear emblematic marks have been left on its face. The towns of Valeggio and Borghetto were founded back in the Longobard era (VIII-IX centuries A.D.): their names respectively mean “Flat place” and “fortified town”. The Visconteo Bridge dominates the town of Borghetto, an amazing fortified dam that Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, had built in 1393 to defend the eastern borders of the Duchy from attack. The dam is 650 meters long, about 25 meters wide and the road surface is 9 meters above the river, and it is commonly called the “Long Bridge”. It was finished in 1395 and is joined to the Scaligero Castle above by two tall crenulated curtains and is incorporated into the fortifications, called the “Serraglio” which extend for around 16 km. From the top of the hill it dominates Valeggio and the Mincio Valley and its impressive medieval fortified air has remained unaltered over the centuries. The most ancient part that remains is the Torre Tonda (Round Tower), an unusual construction from the XII century, while the rest of the complex dates back to the XIV entury. It used to have three drawbridges, but only one remains today. The Summer Show and Culture Review is held in the inner courtyard during the summer months.

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MARKET DAY: Saturday morning

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