Villa Scipione Borghese

In front of the promontory of San Fermo near San Felice del Benaco is the largest island of Lake Garda, simply called Isola del Garda. It's about 1 km long and privately owned by Count Cavazza. The island has been inhabited for a long time, which is confirmed by some discoveries on site.

In the 13th century, Isola del Garda was not only a place of prayer for the Franciscan monks but was also said to have been visited by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri. Over the years, its owners changed hands until the De Ferrari family, a Genoese family, built a majestic Gothic-Venetian palace in the early 20th century on the monastery ruins.

The impressive Villa Scipione Borghese displays magnificent neo-Gothic architectural decorations. There's also a beautiful painting by Carlo Carloni from the 18th century. Splendid terraces and Italian gardens characterised by lush greenery with native and exotic plants surround the property and reach to the lakeshore. In addition to pines, cypresses and acacias you can also find lemon trees, magnolias and agaves.

The family of Count Cavazza, who has always lived on Lake Garda, opens its property - island and villa - from April to October for visitors. The guided tours allow them to cover the costs of the complex renovation and maintenance work.