Garda: history and past

The origins of Garda probably date back to the Italic pile-dwelling civilisation, traces of which can be found in the area.

There are numerous artefacts that attest to life in the area during the Roman era, such as coins, boundary stones, tombstones, sculptures and many local place names.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Bardolino suffered various invasions and dominations by the Lombards, Goths, Visigoths and Franks.

The name “Garda” seems to derive from “warda”, a Lombard term meaning “guard”, referring to the castle that stood on the mountain behind the village of “Garda plana” as early as around 1000.

During the medieval period, Garda and its fortress enjoyed its heyday: at the time of the Franks, it was an autonomous county and then an autonomous municipality.

Gradually, however, even the splendour of the seemingly impregnable manor began to fade.

New military strategies and techniques prevailed over the old fortifications, which were razed to the ground.

Popular imagination has it that the stones of the castle were used to build the houses of the old village of Garda, although this has not been proven.

Here and there on the Rocca, however, there are remains of imposing walls that are about to be uncovered by archaeologists.