ROCCA DI LONATO DEL GARDA E MUSEO ORNITOLOGICO “GUSTAVO ADOLFO CARLOTTO”

The Castle of Lonato, commonly referred to as the Rocca, stands on the summit of one of the hills of the morainic amphitheatre that dominates, on one side, the southern part of Lake Garda and, on the other, the historic centre of the town that stretches as far as the first lands of the Po Valley.
The fortification, intended purely for military and defensive purposes, is one of the most imposing in the whole of Lombardy; its irregular plan reveals a structure almost 180 metres long and an average of 45 metres wide.
There are two bodies that, at different levels, compose it: the Rocchetta in the highest part and, further down, what is known as the Quartiere Principale.
Despite the domination of the Visconti and Scaligeri families, the entire complex, composed of large morainic cobblestones, has Guelph type battlements, the result of restorations carried out over time.
The Castle is entered from its southern side through a gate and a drawbridge, which is reached by walking along the avenues and footpaths of the large park that connects the Casa del Podestà to the Rocca.
The rooms on the ground floor of the Captain's House in the Rocchetta house the Ornithological Museum whose collection derives from the collections of ornithologist Gustavo Adolfo Carlotto (1886-1970); the specimens represent the Italian avifauna in an almost complete manner.
The building also houses the immersive hall and the space dedicated to temporary exhibitions.