The comune of Malcesine consists of (from north to south) Navene, Campagnola, Malcesine proper, Val di Sogno and Cassone. It stretches along theVia Gardesana Orientale (Strada Statale 249) and is nestled between Lake Garda and the slopes ofMonte Baldo. Malcesine is the northernmost comune on the Veneto shore of the lake, immediately to its north liesTrentino Alto Adige.
Two of the largest islands of Lake Garda are located in Malcesine: TheIsola di sogno and theIsola dell'olivo (orIsola degli olivi).
The first recorded inhabitants of the area wereEtruscans dating to around 500 BC. After 15 BC, withTiberius' victory over theRhaetians, the area came under the control of theRoman Empire. After the fall of Rome, the area was ruled in turn byOstrogoths,Alemanni and then theLangobards.[4]
Between the 5th and 6th centuries the Langobards built a castle on the rock where theCastello Scaligero stands today.[clarification needed] It was destroyed in 590 by theFranks. They subsequently rebuilt it and in 806 hosted KingPepin. After attacks byHungarians the castle became part of the holdings of theBishop of Verona. In 1277, the castle fell toAlberto della Scala and until 1387 remained in the possession of thedella Scala family, whose name it still bears. Over the next centuries, castle and town were ruled in succession by theVisconti of Milan (until 1403) and theRepublic of Venice (1405-1797). The control of Venice was only interrupted by a brief period (1506–16), when the area was under Imperial rule during the reign ofEmperor Maximilian I.[4]
The first appearance of the toponym dates back to 9 September 844, when the term Manessicelles results in the testament of the Archdeacon Pacific with the meaning, according to Borsatti,[6] of the tombs of the dead: this meaning would be corroborated by the discovery of some Etruscan-style burials in the surroundings up area. Over the centuries there are many documentary variants: Manascicines (932), Malesicine (1023), Malesisicis (1154), Malesisinum (1159), Malasilice (1225), Malsexeno (1422), Malsesene (1611) to name but a few of the Maffezzoli.[7] The etymology of the toponym is however uncertain, revolving around the interpretation of Malae silices or Mala silex as "Stone hostile" or "Bad stone", probably referring to the morphology of the territory characterized by steep mountains rising on the lake, or as "Bad paved road" of Roman origin.[8]
Malcesine's most prominent landmark is theCastello Scaligero, which has 13th-century fortifications and an older medieval tower in white natural stone. Like the castle ofSirmione at the southern end of the lake, it is named for thedella Scala family ofVerona who ruled the region in the 13th and 14th centuries, and has the characteristic swallow-tailGhibellinemerloncrenellations. Remnants of an Etruscan tomb have been found within the castle walls. Most of the structures visible today date to the period of the della Scala.[5] The bell of the castle was cast in 1442 and it is still in service.
In September 1786,Johann Wolfgang Goethe was questioned by the local magistrate on suspicion of being an Austrian spy after drawing sketches of the castle, and recalled the incident in his published travel reportItalienische Reise (Italian Journey).[9] During the period of Austrian rule, which ended in 1866 after theThird Italian War of Independence, major renovation work took place inside the castle.[5] The Austrians turned it into a military garrison[4] and the munition store they constructed was later used by theGuardia di Finanza of the Kingdom of Italy as a prison.[10] Since 1902, the castle has been a national monument.[5]
Today, the castle contains a small museum on the natural history of Lake Garda (Museo del Garda) and Monte Baldo (Museo del Baldo). One room in the Austrian powder magazine is dedicated to Goethe and his visit.[11]
Located on the lake shore is thePalazzo dei Capitani. It was constructed by the Scala family between the 13th and 14th centuries on olderRoman andRomanesque remains. After being reduced to a simple shell, possibly in an earthquake or by a fire, the building became the property of Francesco Mercanti, from Verona and he passed it on to his heirs. On 18 December 1473, it was sold to Alessandro Miniscalchi. By 1477, the building was already remodelled in the Venetian style. In 1618, Verona purchased the building on the behest of the Republic of Venice for use as the residence of the official calledCapitano del Lago. Various further remodelling work followed.[12] TheCapitano was the head of theGardesana dell'Acqua, a regional autonomous territory under Venetian rule.[4]
On 20 March 1854, the comune of Verona effectively ceded the property to the comune of Malcesine and in 1897, Malcesine became the sole owner. It has been a national monument since 1902.[12] Today, it is used for exhibitions and events and also houses the public library.
Behind Malcesine rises the 2,218 m (7,277 ft) high Monte Baldo. A two-stage cable car ride—the second leg using one with rotating cabins—takes passengers to 1,750 m (5,741 ft)above sea level.[13] From there the highest point can be accessed by walking a few kilometres to the south along the ridge.
Garda Lake from Baldo Mountain at Comune of Malcesine
Cablecar from Malcesine to Monte Baldo. Top Station, ca. 1700m
Pieve di S. Stefano (or parish church of St. Stephen), first mentioned in the 9th century. Today'sbaroque church dates to the early 18th century and contains several works of art including the altars ofSS. Benigno e Caro (Saints Benigno and Caro, 1769) and of theBeata Vergine delle sette allegrezze (Virgin of the Seven Joys, 1771), as well as atabernacle and the paintingDeposizione attributed toGirolamo dai Libri.[14][15]
Santa Maria di Navene is yet another notable church in the town, dating back to the 17th century).[16]
Whilst Malcesine is not connected to the railway, the town is served by buses.[17] Moreover, there is public transportation by boat, including expresshydrofoils, on the lake for passengers as well as a car ferry.[18][19]
