Isola del Garda

Garda Island is a site of rare beauty, a picturesque rock inhabited by ancient populations, then home to St. Frances, St. Anthony of Paduam St. Bernardino of Siena and, probably, Dante Alighieri. The twentieth century palace in Neo-Gothic- Venetian style is at the southern end.
Below it terraces and Italian style gardens stretch down to the lake.

Already inhadited in Roman times, the island became a hunting reserve until 879. In then became part of Charlemagne's dominion wìho subsequently presented it to monks. In 1221 St. Frances of Assisi built a simple hermitage on the rocks. The Francescan Francesco Licheto held public lessons on philosophy and theology here. Agere his death the hermitage began to deteriorate and in 1803 the religious order was suppressed. The island became State property then passed from hand to hand until it was converted to a military outpost in 1860.

At the end of the century it vecame the property of Duke De Ferrari of Genoa, who entrusted the construction og the splendid villa to the architect Luigi Rovelli. the Duke's daughter, Anna Maria, wife of Price Scipione Borghese, enriched the garden with flowers and exotic species.

After her, theri dougther Livia, married to Count Alessandro Cavazza, looked after this paradise for more than fifty years. Inherited by her son Camillo, the island is now looked by after by his wife, Charlotte Chetwynd Talbot, and their seven children: Sigmar, Livia, Eric, Ilona, Alberta, Christian and Lars Patricl.

Apart from the villa, full of surprisiung architectural details, Garda Island ownes its incomparable fascination the magnificent italian style gardens and the luxurious intact planting, full of local and extotic species, rare plants and unique flowers.