Tignale

Tignale is made of 6 suburbs and none of them is called “Tignale”: Piovere, Oldesio, Prabione, Olzano, Aer and Gardola.
Tignale is a well known resort for both Italians and foreigners, being a sort of sheer cliff. According to the popular tradition, a villain called  Zanzanù would scare the people living in the northern area of lake Garda, and the ex-voto for the villain is held in Sanctuary of Monte Castello of Tignale.
The Italian Touring Club bestowed a high honour on Tignale awarding it the “Orange Flag”, the high quality mark assigned to small places of the hinterland as a symbol of excellence for the offers and the welcoming.

Inhabitants: 1.321
Height: 555 m above sea level
Surface: 48 km2
Province: Brescia

Historical outline

The first inhabitants of the old “Viniale” were the Cenomani Gauls, followed by the Romans. At the time when Tiberius was the emperor, Tiganel already belonged to the municipium of Brescia. Among the dominations and the protectorates of dioceses and lords, it’s worth naming the Benedectines from Leno, the counts Lodrone and the Visconti family.
In 1426 Tignale was ruled by the Republic of Venice, obtaining some administrative autonomy. The beginning of the XVII century is well remembered for the terrible raids of the villain Giovanni Beatrice, called Zanzanù.
When Napoleon arrived and the Campoformio Treaty was signed in 1797, the Gandola turrent marked the border between the Austrian Empire and the Cisalpine Republic.

What to see

Churches
- Church of San Sebastiano and San Rocco in  Oldesio. It contains a picture painted by Bertanza
- Church of Santa Maria Assunta (XV century)
- Church of San Pietro. It dates back to 500 – 600 b.C., it contains a small museum with late medieval graves

Sights

Museum of  Parco dell’Alto Garda Bresciano (Park of the northern area of Brescia/lake Garda)
At the museum “Parco dell’Alto Garda” in Prabione it is possible to find many information about this area surrounded by the mountains and the lake.
The museum hosts a permanent exhibition provided with multimedia installations showing the main geologic events which caused the formation of lake Garda; it also contains many work tools showing the past human activities of the area. It is also possible to expand on the natural and faunistic aspects of the territory.

Sanctuary of Montecastello
The Sanctuary of the Madonna of Montecastello stands on the top of Mount Castello and it has been a place of pilgrimage and devotion for centuries.
Its sheer position over lake Garda provides one of the most beautiful view of the whole lake.
The church contains a cycle of frescoes created in Giotto-style; it also contains the biggest ex-voto in Italy: a XVII century painting portraying the battle fought by the natives when the terrible villain Zanzanù died. He was the cause of a family feud that erupted in a violent fighting. His fame has been passed down over the centuries: according to the legend, he could stop bullets with his own hands.

Biologic oil mill
The biologic oil mill of the “Cooperativa Latteria Turnaria” produces a very high quality oil. In the area of “Parco dell’Alto Garda” two variety of olive tree grow: “Casaliva” and “Gargnà”. The olives picked by hand produce an oil whose organoleptic characteristics are unique.

Events

The festival of truffles
This event is organized from the last Sunday of September to first Sunday of October at the biologic oil mill of Tignale (Gardola).

Medieval Market
This event is awaited both by tourists, natives of Tignale and people living in the area nearby. The medieval market offers the chance to enjoy the typical medieval atmosphere of a market where it is possible to taste and buy typical products, and to visit stands selling local handicrafts. On this occasion the streets are populated by actors in period costumes, musicians, acrobats, fire-eaters and games.

Tempting you… Summer
Food and drink walk along the streets of Gardola.

Sport

Freestyle Garda Lake Classic: windsurf and kitesurf lovers use to meet in “Prà de la fam”, a little suburb of Tignale, washed by lake Garda. Prà is one of the most famous spots where Italian and foreign surfers go and meet for sporting events like Freestyle Garda Lake Classic. This event is officially recognized by the A.I.C.W. national championship in order to get points for other specialties of the European Championship.
Thanks to the numerous mountain torrents flowing down into the lake, it is possible to go canyoning, an exciting activity of dives, slides and abseils.
The territory around Tignale also offers interesting itineraries for tourists and excursionists. Every year the tourist bureau organizes guided tours along the paths of Parco dell’Alto Garda, in order to discover the beautiful landscapes of the area.

Typical products

“Spongadì” is the typical product of Tignale. It is a sort of pudding very similar to the ones of Valcamonica valley (spongade).
Roasting spit from Brescia: it is a mix of birds, meat, potatoes, sage which perfectly match with corn and buckwheat polenta seasoned with butter and cheese. This kind of polenta is called cusà.
In Tignale there is a biologic oil-mill whose oil is particularly appreciated for its high quality. While in Prabione di Tignale there is the old alembic to produce a famous grappa, called “Rugiada delle Alpi” (= Alps dew) by Gabriele D’Annunzio. This distilled brandy derives from the refuse of grapes after wine-making of wines such as San Giovese, Marzemino, Groppello, Barbera and Cabernet. It is sugar and additive free.

Info

Tourist information office
Via Europa, 5
Tignale
Tel. and fax +39 0365 73354
info@tignale.org