Description of the attraction
The Grotto of Catulla is one of the ancient attractions of the small resort town of Sirmione, located on the shores of Lake Garda. The grotto lies at the very tip of the Sirmione peninsula, which juts deep into the lake. In truth, the name Grotto Catullus is not entirely true - firstly, it is not a grotto at all, and secondly, the famous Roman poet Catullus never lived here. In reality, these are the ruins of an ancient Roman villa, which began to be called a grotto because of the collapsed and collapsed walls. Catullus lived long before this villa was built. It is fair to say that in ancient times the Catullus family owned an estate on this territory - perhaps that is why the Roman poet and the villa were “tied” together.
The huge and impressive Villa Romana, at the tip of the picturesque promontory, is a three-story structure dating from about 150 AD, while Catullus died in 54 BC. It has the shape of a rectangle with dimensions of 167 * 105 meters and a total area of 2 hectares. It was once a luxurious estate, the size and grandeur of which suggests that it was inhabited by a wealthy patrician family. The purpose of the premises of the villa is easy to guess even today: there were thermal baths, something like a spa complex, a covered gallery, a stable, two huge halls and a grand double hall with sixty columns. Villa Romana is probably the finest example of a private Roman villa found in Northern Italy.
Today, a small museum is open at the entrance to the Grotto of Catulla, and the ruins themselves, surrounded by the waters of the lake and olive groves, can be viewed for a small fee. Tourists can wander among the ruins and admire archaeological finds such as charming carvings depicting rabbits, jewelry, antique coins, fragments of mosaics, frescoes and stucco that once covered the walls of the villa.
Just a few meters from the Grotto Catulla, there is the Lido delle Bonde private beach complex, where you can have a snack in numerous cafes and restaurants, swim or just sunbathe on the purest sand or coastal cliffs.
