Malcesine Castle

Malcesine Castle, locally known as the Castello Scaligero of Malcesine, lies on a rock in the center of the town of Malcesine, in the Verona province in the Veneto region in Italy.

It is believed that the first fortification at this site was built by the Lombards. According to legend, that castle was destroyed and then rebuilt by the Franks in 590 AD. Legend also claims that King Pepin of Italy, son of Charlemagne, visited the castle in 803.

After a period of Hungarian raids in the area during the 10th century, the castle became part of the Veronese episcopal properties.

In the late 13th century, it came into the possession of the powerful Scaliger family. This noble family, also known as the Della Scala family, ruled Verona and reconstructed the castle, giving it its current appearance. Malcesine Castle, along with their other castles at Sirmione, Lazise, Torri del Benaco, and Riva, served the Scaligers to exert full control over Lake Garda. The castle was their residence from 1277 until 1387.

Later, it was occupied by the Visconti Dukes of Milan until they lost it in 1403. Throughout the following century, ownership of the castle was contested by the Venetian Republic and the German Empire. In 1513, it was successfully besieged by a Venetian force and remained under Venetian control until the 18th century. In 1786, during Venetian rule, Malcesine Castle was visited by the renowned German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The castle was briefly occupied by the French in 1797, followed by another brief occupation by Austrian troops in 1798. Between 1805 and 1815, the castle was part of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy before returning to the Austrian Empire in 1815. It remained in Austrian hands until 1866, when it was transferred to the Kingdom of Italy. Italy initially used the castle as a border post, but it soon fell into disuse.

Today, the castle houses a local history museum and is owned by the municipality. The white tents next to the castle cover an open-air theater.

Malcesine Castle can be visited for a fee. Unfortunately, it was out of season when I visited, so I could not access it. Too bad. However, it is still a great castle in a beautiful town.

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