Riva Castle

Riva Castle, locally known as Rocca di Riva, lies in the city of Riva del Garda, in the Trentino province in the Trentino-Alto Adige region in Italy.

The town of Riva received permission from the Bishop of Trento to build a castle in 1124. However, since Riva Castle was first mentioned in 1393 as 'Castrum Novum' (meaning New Castle), it had a predecessor located further west. That earlier castle was built on a rocky island on the shore of Lake Garda.

In the late 13th century, Riva came under the control of the Counts of Arco. After some time, their overlords, the Counts of Tyrol, took control. The Counts of Tyrol were pushed out by the powerful Scaliger family in 1293. They managed to regain possession of Riva Castle in 1303 but lost it again to the Scaligers in 1343.

The Scaliger family, also known as the Della Scala family, was a mighty noble family. They expanded the moated castle as, together with their other castles at Sirmione, Lazise, Torri del Benaco, and Malcesine, it was intended to strengthen their total control over Lake Garda. By the end of the 14th century, however, they were driven out by the Prince-Bishop of Trent, who had allied with the Visconti Duke of Milan.

Falling out with the Viscontis, Riva Castle changed hands several times in the early 15th century between the Prince-Bishopric of Trent, the Viscontis, and the Duke of Austria, before finally becoming a possession of the Prince-Bishopric. By 1440, the Prince-Bishopric of Trent had allied with the Viscontis again, this time during the war of the latter with the Republic of Venice. This led to a four-week siege of the castle by the Venetians, after which they managed to take it.

The Venetians controlled Riva until 1509, during which they restored the castle and added artillery. After Venice's defeat, Riva fell to the Habsburg Roman Emperor Maximilian I. His successor, Charles V, formally returned the castle to the Prince-Bishopric of Trent in 1520, and it then became a residence favored by various prince-bishops.

During the War of the Spanish Succession in 1703, French troops led by General Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme, sacked Riva and its castle.

Under Austrian military administration in the mid-19th century, Riva Castle was converted into a barracks, significantly altering its appearance and giving it its current look. Until the start of WWI, the castle housed a garrison of 600 soldiers, and during the war, it was bombed by Italian artillery. After the war, the castle was acquired by the municipality and now houses the MAG (Museo Alto Garda) museum.

It is a nice castle, although more because of its location than its appearance. Sadly, I arrived too late to visit the museum. Bastione di Riva Tower is nearby.

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