Castello di Lonato - Rocca

The Castle of Lonato, commonly known as Rocca, rises at the top of one of the elevations of the morainic amphitheater that dominates, on one side, the southern part of Lake Garda and, on the other, the historic center of the town that extends to touch the first lands of the Po Valley.

The fortification, primarily intended for military and defensive needs, is one of the most imposing in all of Lombardy; its irregular plan actually reveals a structure nearly 180 meters long and an average of 45 meters wide.

There are two bodies that compose it, at different levels: the Rocchetta at the highest part and, lower down, what is called the Main Quarter.

Despite the domination of the Visconti and Scaliger, the entire complex, made up of large morainic pebbles, presents a parapet of the Guelph type, certainly the result of restorations carried out over time.

The Castle is accessed from its southern side through a door and a drawbridge, which is reached by traversing the avenues and pedestrian paths of the large park that connects the House of the Podestà to the Rocca.

The rooms of the Captain's House in the Rocchetta host the Civic Ornithological Museum, whose collection comes from the collections of the ornithologist Gustavo Adolfo Carlotto (1886-1970).

The approximately seven hundred specimens represent Italian avifauna almost completely, and their remarkable state of preservation is due to the work of Marco Gianese, a renowned taxidermist, who dedicated himself to their embalming.