Torri del Benaco Castle

Torri del Benaco Castle, locally known as Castello Scaligero di Torri del Benaco, lies in the center of the small town of Torri del Benaco, in the Verona province in the Veneto region in Italy.

The origins of Torri del Benaco Castle likely date back to the 10th century, when King Berengar I of Italy transformed the site, possibly once a Roman castrum, into a fortified stronghold against Hungarian incursions. Only the present-day west tower remains from that era.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the noble Scaliger family, also called the Della Scala, ruled over Verona and Lake Garda. To exert their total control over Lake Garda, they rebuilt and constructed several castles around the lake at Riva, Malcesine, Lazise, and Sirmione. Antonio della Scala, the last ruler of the Scaliger dynasty, commissioned the construction of a new castle in 1383 atop the early-medieval ruins in Torri del Benaco, designed to protect the growing port and thus create a fortified dock. Town walls were also erected.

The new fortifications, however, did not prevent the town from being attacked by the troops of the Visconti of Milan, who conquered it after only six days of siege in 1387 with artillery. Following the Visconti, control passed to the Republic of Venice in 1405. Subsequently, the castle lost its military importance and began a slow but steady decline.

In 1760, part of the fortifications was dismantled to make way for a citrus greenhouse. By the late 20th century, the castle stood abandoned, and even the greenhouse had fallen into disuse. A full restoration of the castle and greenhouse was completed in 1983, transforming the site into a local history museum.

Currently, Torri del Benaco Castle is open to the public as a museum. Unfortunately, it was closed when I visited. A nice castle remnant in a lovely lakeside town.

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