Castello Scaligero

The Castello Scaligero of Lazise is a 14th-century fortress with six square towers and a moat, dominating the lakeside edge of the historic centre. The walls and towers are in remarkably complete condition — the structure was never demolished or substantially altered, which is unusual for a castle of this age. The outer walls and the Scaligero town walls that extend from them can be walked, giving views over the rooftops and the lake.

The castle itself is private property and not open to the public, but the exterior and the surrounding walls are freely accessible. Walking the perimeter — from the lakeside towers along the town walls to the Porta del Leone — takes about half an hour and gives the clearest sense of how completely medieval the town's fabric remains inside the walls.

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A story
The Scaligeri — the della Scala family who ruled Verona from 1262 to 1387 — built or reinforced castles along the entire eastern shore of Lake Garda to protect their territory from Milan. Lazise's castle was one of the most important, housing the fleet of war galleys that the Scaligeri used to control lake traffic. Cangrande II della Scala is believed to have ordered the current structure in the late 14th century, just decades before the family lost power to the Visconti.

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