Peschiera del Garda

Infobox CityIT
img_coa = Peschiera del Garda-Stemma.png official_name = Comune di Peschiera del Garda
name = Peschiera del Garda
region = Veneto
province = Verona (VR)
elevation_m = 68
area_total_km2 = 17.63
population_as_of = April 15, 2006
population_total =8479
population_density_km2 = 499
timezone = CET, UTC+1
coordinates = coord|45|26|N|10|41|E
frazioni = Peschiera, San Benedetto di Lugana, Broglie
telephone = 045
postalcode = 37019, 37010
gentilic = Arilicensi
saint = St. Martin
day = november 11
mayor =Umberto Chincarini
website = [http://www.peschieradelgarda.org www.peschieradelgarda.org]
mapx =45.41
mapy = 10.685

Peschiera del Garda (Latin: Ardelica, Arilica and Ariolica), is a town and "comune" in the province of Verona, in Veneto, Italy. When Lombardy-Venetia was under Austrian rule, Peschiera was the northwest anchor of the four fortified towns constituting the so-called Quadrilateral. The fortress is on an island in the Mincio River at its outlet from Lake Garda.

History

Roman Ardelica was a town of Gallia Transpadana, which occupied the site of the modern Peschiera del Garda, at the southeast angle of the Lacus Benacus (Lago di Garda), just where the Mincius (modern Mincio) issued from the lake. The name is found under the corrupted form Ariolica in the Tabula Peutingeriana, which correctly places it between Brixia and Verona; the true form is preserved by inscriptions, from one of which we learn that it was a trading place, with a corporation of ship-owners, "collegium naviculariorum Ardelicensium". (Orell. Inscr. 4108.) The town is mentioned as Arilica in Pliny the Elder's "Naturalis Historia".

The fortress at Peschiera played a prominent part in most of the military campaigns conducted in northern Italy after 1400, but especially so during the Napoleonic wars. During the First Italian War of Independence, it was taken by the Piedmontese from the Austrians, after a gallant defence by General Rath lasting six weeks, on May 30, 1848.

Peschiera del Garda was also famous for its military jail, closed in 2002.

The comune is part of the Associazione Città del vino ("Association of Wine Cities").

In winter, the nearby Laghetto del Frassino the most important habitat for Tufted Ducks in Italy (Morbioli & Sighele 2006).

Main sights

*The Fortress and the external fortifications
*Sanctuary of "Madonna del Frassino" (1511). It houses works by Paolo Farinati and Zeno da Verona

Bounding communes

*Castelnuovo del Garda
*Valeggio sul Mincio
*Ponti sul Mincio
*Pozzolengo
*Sirmione

Twin cities

*flagicon|ITA Ulà Tirso, Italy
*flagicon|ARG Villa Carlos Paz, Argentina

References

* [http://www.maudoc.com/pdf/frassino.pdf PDF fulltext]
*

External links

* [http://www.cittadelvino.it Associazione Città del vino (association)] it icon
* [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?tb=1&city=Peschiera+del+Garda&country=IT Mapquest - Peschiera del Garda]