The suggestive Sirmione Castle in the waters of Lake Garda

Sirmione Castle is bathed on all sides by the waters of Lake Garda. Its walls are characterized by the play of light that the water creates with the sun, illuminating the metal windows and the decorations of the towers.

Located in the historical center of Sirmione, the castle is one of the most interesting examples of lake architecture in Italy. It manages to rise out of the water like a giant rock, a resistant and perfectly preserved fortress.

The walls have the characteristic dovetailed merlons, used in the Middle Ages to hide archers and soldiers from the enemy.

In the past, the castle was a fully inhabited center where the population took refuge in case of attack.

How to get to the Sirmione Castle

Until today, the castle is accessible only from the side of the village of Sirmione. In the past, it was also possible to reach it from the outside through a series of drawbridges.

For those departing from the Garda railway station, there are a number of shuttle buses that will take you directly to the castle in three minutes.

The bus is certainly the best way to reach Sirmione because it allows you to admire the outside landscape at the same time.

A few historical notes

The construction of the Sirmione Castle is due to Leonardo Della Scala, also known as "Mastino della Scala". The Scala family controlled Sirmione and, in the 13th century, decided to build a defensive fortress to protect the town's borders.

The role of the castle was to anticipate the arrival of enemies and at the same time to manage the exchange of the port.

The dominion of the family lasted until 1405 when the fortress passed to the Republic of Venice. This was the beginning of the renovation and fortification works that led to the construction of the dock which can still be seen today.

Over the years the castle lost more and more importance until the fall of Venice in 1797.

Today it houses a small museum that tells the story of its glorious past and the customs of the people of the Middle Ages.

What to see in the castle

Once you reach the Sirmione Castle, the first thing you will notice are the walls. Very high and incredibly resistant, they are made of a mixture of stone and brick. What fascinates visitors is the history that these stones carry with them; they have managed to remain intact since 1300 without ever giving way.

The entrance to the castle opens onto the main courtyard, which has a rectangular shape. The large courtyard is surrounded by walls and corner towers that were used for observation.

It is possible to access both the towers and the patrol path, where the sentry posts used to be. To reach the courtyard, which is connected to the Darsena, you have to climb a steep staircase with 146 steps.

In the inner portico there is the small museum, a series of panels that tell the story of the fortress and its resistance. You will also find a Roman and medieval lapidary, with some original remains.

The legend of Sirmione

The famous Castle of Sirmione has an ancient legend, a ghost story that you might want to know about before you arrive.

According to local tradition, the castle was once inhabited by a man named Ebengardo and his wife Alice.

On a rainy night, the knight Elaberto knocks on the door of the castle, asking for shelter from the cold of the night, and receives great hospitality from Ebengardo.

As soon as he sets his eyes on Alice, Elaberto falls in love with her and wants to make her his wife. He enters her private room in the middle of the night, and the girl's screams are of little help in escaping her fate.

When Ebengardo arrives and runs into the room of his beloved, he finds her already dead, killed by Elaberto. To avenge her, Enengardo kills the knight with his dagger, but he is unable to free himself from the weight of life and go to meet his dead wife.
Guilty of failing to protect her, he turns into a ghost and is forced to wander the fortress night after night in search of his beloved.