Vittoriale degli Italiani

Over 200,000 visitors every year stop in Gardone Riviera, a well-known tourist resort situated on the western coast of Lake Garda between Salò and Toscolano Maderno, to visit the famous Vittoriale degli Italiani, an undeniably fascinating site.

The Vittoriale degli Italiani: where eclecticism is the norm

The Vittoriale degli Italiani, known also simply as the ‘Vittoriale’, is a monument complex commissioned by Gabriele D’Annunzio in 1921.

The famous poet, journalist, soldier and patriot from Abruzzo, after staying in Gardone Riviera and falling in love with the Laka Garda landscape, decided to buy the land where the Vittoriale stands today and create a realm in memory of his exceptional life and of the Italian people during World War I.

The project was asssigned to architect Giancarlo Maroni, a friend of D’Annunzio’s.

The Vittoriale: much more than a house museum

Gardens, roads, streets, squares, house, library, water courses, amphiteatre: when you visit the Vittoriale for the first time, you are unsure of what to expect. And, indeed, every corner hides a different surprise.

The Vittoriale is a small, yet grand, world within itself, fitting perfectly into the lakeside surroundings. Every indoor and outdoor area conveys the peculiarity and creative personality of D’Annunzio, who gathered as much memorabilia as possible: sculptures, medals of valour, relics, thousands of books, and all types of works of art.

It truly is a house museum in the very extreme, with the addition of the totally unexpected, dotted all around the complex: an SVA aircraft, the torpedo boat Nave Puglia, and an MAS96 submarine.

Outdoors at the Vittoriale: gardens, water, amphitheatre

The surprising atmosphere is clearly perceived also in the exterior parts of the complex, with lush gardens, a lemon grove with Belvedere terrace, the Portico del Parente named after Michelangelo Buonarroti, and the splendid amphiteatre overlooking the lake which continues today to host prestigious summer music events and concerts by world famous artists.

On top of the Vittoriale stands the mausoleum, an imposing funerary monument and resting place of D’Annunzio: the greatness of an “inimitable life” that continues to be remembered.

For information, call +39 0365 296511 or visit the official website.