Brenzone

Brenzone is located on the East coast of lake Garda, along the side of Mount Baldo. It doesn’t have a real centre, but it is rather made of many little suburbs scattered around the area. The name “Brenzone” probably derives from the family name Brenzoni; they were the owners of the place who the countrymen owed part of the harvest to. Brenzone’s economy is mainly based on tourism: along the lake coast in summer, and in the mountains throughout the whole year.

Inhabitants: 2.552
Height: 69m above sea level.
Surface: 50,10km2
Province: Verona

Historical Outline

The history of Brenzone as a city hall is quite recent, since it was born around the middle of the XX century from the union of Castello, Marniga, Castelletto, and Prada.
At the beginning Brenzone was inhabited by the Romans, but the first human settlements date back to the Bronze Age, as pointed to by the II millennium a.C. rupestrian figures found in Castelletto.
The suburb of Magugnano still keeps evidence of the Middle Ages, as it is possible to see while visiting the Roman church of San Zeno, one of the most ancient ones in the whole Garda territory.

What to see

Roman Church of San Zeno. It dates back to the XII century. It contains late Roman frescoes with Byzantine marks on the walls of the aisle.
Parish Church of Castelletto. It was built in the XVII century on the initiative of Monsignor Giuseppe Nascimbeni, who founded the religious order of “Piccole Suore della Sacra Famiglia”.
Church of San Nicola. It still keeps an altarpiece of the XVI century portraying the Virgin with Jesus, St Nicola and Antonio Abate.
Church of San Pietro in Vincoli. It is a very important building for the Campo district. Its arch and apse are fine decorated.
Church of Sant’Antonia in Biaza district. This is a typical Roman structured building.

Sights:

Ethnographic museum
The museum is fit out  inside the house of the Venerable Mother Maria Domenica Mantovani, co-founder of the institute “Piccole Suore della Sacra Famiglia” together with the Blessed Giuseppe Nascimbeni. The structure represents an interesting example of the typical Northern Garda architecture.
The interior looks like the late XIX century typical house and it contains all the tools used for the characteristic activities of the village: fishing, sheep farming, olive tree cultivation and sericulture.

Mount Baldo
Brenzone raises on the side of Mount Baldo, a mountain belonging to the Prealps of Veneto, just between lake Garda and Lagarina Valley. There are numerous paths leading to the highest mountain tops and to the huts where people can enjoy a nice view over the lake.

Recurrent events

Crazy Regatta
August sailing regatta for weird and make-shift salvage made boats.

“ Ondes de Luj” Feast
Traditional feast celebrated on the 11th of July. It is dedicated to the Virgin.

Feast of the Tribulanti
Popular feast celebrated in July. Food stands are prepared and it is possible to taste the typical “polenta carbonera” cooked with cornflour and cheese of the area.

Feast of Biasia
Food and drink event with music entertainment organized in the ancient suburb of Biasia. It is celebrated on the first days of August.

Feast of San Rocco
Popular feast with local food and music; it’s celebrated in the main square of Marniga at mid-August.

Sport

Brenzone offers a miscellaneous territory spreading out from the lake to mountain tops (even over 200 m high) and it allows people to practice many sports: sailing, kite-surfing, windsurfing, canoeing, hiking, trekking, hang-gliding, paragliding, mountain biking.

Brenzone hosts the Fitzcarraldo Cup, a long distance regatta. The sailing club “Compagnia delle derive Fitzcarraldo” promotes a formative approach to sailing through an official occasion for whoever wants to test its water abilities without having to show off.

Every year Brenzone hosts numerous Italian and foreign bikers in the occasion of the Extreme Race Punta Veleno, uphill competition both for roadsters and mountainbikes. The route presents a rise of 1081 metres along 10 Kms only.

Household names connected to Brenzone

In 1988 Father Giuseppe Nascimbeni was beatified  by the Pope Giovanni Paolo II. Nascimbeni was the founder of  “Piccole suore della Sacra Famiglia”.

Madre Maria Domenica Mantovani was born in Brenzone, too. She was the co-founder of the institute “Piccole Suore della Sacra Famiglia” (1862-1934). She was beatified by Papa Giovanni Paolo II on the 27th of April 2003.

Typical products

The undisputed protagonist of the local cuisine is lake fish. Fishing in Benzone is still a living activity and it is connected to traditions which still survive.
The typical receipts are fish-based and they mainly include carps, whitefish, pilchards and trouts. Climbing up the mountain it is possible to find also game, truffles, mushrooms and chestnuts. A good example of special course is “bigoi co le agole”, a hard wheat made kind of pasta seasoned with pickled bleaks and virgin olive oil from Brenzone.

Camper park

Fee paying park on the roof of  the multi-storey car park in via Gramsci.

Fee paying rest area at Camping San Francesco
Strada vicinale San Franceso
25015 Desenzano (BS) Italy

Info

Tourist information office A.P.T. BRENZONE
Località Assenza
37010 Brenzone
Tel. 045.7420076