Description of the attraction
The Scaliger Castle, located on the northeastern shore of Lake Garda in the small resort town of Malcesine in the province of Verona, is a medieval fortress built on the ruins of an older structure. It stands on a rocky promontory protruding into the lake to the northwest of the historic city center.
During its long history, the castle changed owners more than once - they were the Lombards and Franks, the powerful Scaliger and Visconti families, Venetians, French and Austrians. Most likely, the first castle on this site was built by the Lombards in the middle of the first millennium. In 590 it was destroyed by the Franks, and they also rebuilt it at the beginning of the 9th century. Then, from 1277 to 1387, it housed the Scaliger residence.
The castle gained all-European fame at the beginning of the 19th century after the great German poet Goethe wrote about it in his "Italian Travels", who also placed there several drawings made by himself. In order to sketch a military object, Goethe risked his freedom and was even arrested - he was mistaken for a spy. Today, the castle houses a small museum dedicated to the writer, and his bust is installed.
In addition to the Goethe Museum, the rooms of the Scaliger Castle house the Natural History Museum of Lake Garda and the Monte Baldo Mountains and the Fisheries Museum. And in recent years, it has become very popular to celebrate weddings and other celebrations within the walls of the ancient fortress.
In 1902, the Scaliger castle, like another castle of the same name in the town of Torri del Benaco, was declared a national monument of Italy.
