Manerba del Garda

A dispersed municipality made up of scattered hamlets on a small peninsula covered with olive groves, grapevines and cypress trees, Manerba is a holiday resort and a health spa of great acclaim. Even though the presence of man in Manerba dates back to the first century BC, its history is predominantly linked to the Fortress, fundamental for the defense of the Valtenesi at least until these regions were included within the Venetian Republic in the XV century. Many documents relating to the local history have been preserved in the Museo Civico Archeologico della Valtenesi, in the hamlet of Montinelle, but the area is still splendidly marked by its past. Among the most beautiful buildings we should at least mention the Romanesque Parish Church at Pieve Vecchia, with the remains of frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries, then the Baroque Parish Church at Solarolo and also the Romanesque Church of the Trinity, with Renaissance style frescoes. A visit to Manerba should, of course, include the Fortress: you can understand its strategic function when observing the panorama today, which embraces Lake Garda and also includes the Isola di San Biagio below. Looking around, you can see the cultivated plots of land which produce the famous and much-appreciated products of Manerba, such as its olive oil in the first instance, and also the D.O.C wines, such as Chiaretto and Gropello.