Malcesine (Veneto)

Malcesine is a town on the eastern shore of Lake Garda, in the Province of Verona. Two of the largest islands of Lake Garda are located in Malcesine: The Isola di sogno and the Isola dell'olivo (or Isola degli olivi). Malcesine's most prominent landmark is the Castello Scaligero, which has 13th-century fortifications and an older medieval tower in white natural stone. Like the castle of Sirmione at the southern end of the lake, it is named for the della Scala family of Verona who ruled the region in the 13th and 14th centuries, and has the characteristic swallow-tail Ghibelline merlon crenallations. 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. The bell of the castle was cast in 1442 and it is still in service.