Riva del Garda

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Riva del Garda
Comune
Comune di Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda view with Lake Garda on the background
Riva del Garda view with Lake Garda on the background
Riva del Garda is located in Italy
Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda
Location of Riva del Garda in Italy
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Country Italy
Region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Province / Metropolitan city Trento (TN)
Frazioni Campi, Pregasina, Rifugio Capanna Grassi, Rifugio Nino Pernici, San Nazzaro, Sant'Alessandro, Varone
Government
 • Mayor Adalberto Mosaner
Area
 • Total 42 km2 (16 sq mi)
Elevation 70 m (230 ft)
Population (2013 official estimate)
 • Total 15,838
 • Density 380/km2 (980/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Rivani
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 38066
Dialing code 0464
Patron saint Absumption of Mary
Saint day August 15
Website Official website

Riva del Garda is a town and comune in the northern Italian province of Trento of the Trentino Alto Adige region. It is also known simply as Riva. People from Riva are known as Rivani.

History

Riva del Garda belonged to the Republic of Venice, the Bishopric of Trent, the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy and later (1815–1918) to the Austro-Hungarian empire. Since the end of World War I (3 November 1918), Riva del Garda, with the rest of the Trentino, became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

Riva was the terminus for the 24 kilometres (15 miles) long Mori–Arco–Riva railway line, opened in 1891. However, the railway closed in 1936 and the railway terminus has been converted into a restaurant.

Geography

Riva del Garda is located at the north-western corner of Lake Garda, approximately 70 metres (230 feet) above sea level. The town is located at the southern edge of the Italian Alps, near the Dolomites. It is bordered by Monte Rocchetta to the west and Monte Brione, 376 metres (1,234 ft) above sea level, to the east.[1] East of Riva del Garda is the village Torbole, bordered by Monte Baldo.

Climate

Winters are relatively cold, sunny and with some snow; summers are warm but rarely hot and/or muggy, mainly thanks to the local lake breeze in the afternoon.

Demographics

In 1991, the population was recorded as 13,410. The 2001 census listed the population as 14,758. An official estimate in 2004 calculated the population as 15,151.[2] In 2013 it was listed at 15,838.[3]

Economy

Tourism is the most important activity of the town. The town is also home to industries such as paper manufacturing.

Places of interest

A panoramic image of the Riva del Garda's lakefront

The Museo Civico is located in the Rocca, a medieval fortress with quadrangular bastions, placed on the lake, bounded by a canal with drawbridge. It was the fortress of the noble family Scaligeri (1124), who became the Lords of Verona. It was rebuilt several times and it was used by the Austrians as barracks in the 18th century. It is frequently the seat of cultural activities, especially during the summer months.

Torre Apponale

The medieval belfry Torre Apponale was first mentioned in 1273, but is probably older. It belonged to the first fortress of Riva, that no longer exists. Modifications were made in 1555 and it was raised to 34 metres (112 ft). The Piazza III Novembre is situated between the belfry and the harbour. The city hall comprises the Palazzo Pretorio from 1375 (the former cantonal courthouse) and the Palazzo del Provveditore (the governor's palace), built between 1472 and 1485.

The city gates Porta San Marco (11th century), built by the Venetians, and Porta San Michele (13th century), at the Piazza Cavour, are remnants of the medieval city walls. The Porta San Michele has a small battlemented belfry for the parochial church of Maria Assunta. This church was originally a romanesque-gothic building from the 14th century (attested by a medieval relief at its southern side), but was rebuilt in baroque style in 1728. It has a single nave and nine baroque altars. The altarpieces were made by local artists, such as Ignazio Martino Oliari da Riva, Giuseppe Craffonara da Riva and Giovanni Caliari da Verona. The fresco in the dome is by the baroque painter Giuseppe Alberti (1664–1730).

The church Chiesa dell'Inviolata, dominating the Largo Marconi, is considered among the most beautiful baroque churches in Trentino. It is an octagonal building with the belfry next to it. It contains the altarpieces "San Carlo Borromeo" and "San Gerolamo" by the Mannerist painter Palma il Giovane. In the middle of the octogonal dome is a Baroque fresco "The coronation of Maria in Heaven".

Places of geological interest in the vicinity include Tenno Lake, Lago di Ledro (with its paleoethnographic museum), and the Varone falls.

Sport

With its two harbours, Riva del Garda is well equipped for sailing and windsurfing. Rock climbing and mountain biking are also practiced. Basketball is also very popular and probably the main sport of the town: the local top team, the GS Riva Gardacartiere, plays in the Italy's 3rd national division and for the "big games" the PalaGarda arena is packed with up to 2,000 people. The town also has a team, Virtus Riva, in the "C1" division.

Most popular type of rock climbing is via ferrata. One of the most notable routes is Via dell´Amicizia, which is 650 meters high, ends at the height of 1200 meters (route starts approx. at the middle of the mountain at about 600 meters above the town) and lasts about 2:40 hrs. on average.[4]

Photos

  • By night

  • Piazza III Novembre

  • The Castle of Riva

  • View from cima sat.

  • Lake view

  • View from lake

  • View from lake

  • View from lake

  • The Torre Apponale tower

  • View of the town along the lake

  • with the paddle-wheeler "G. Zanardelli"

  • Roman settlement excavation

  • Street by evening

  • 1914 postcard image

  • Lakefront castle

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Helders (2010)
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Sources

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External links

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