Salo' History

The Etruscans and cenomans were based here from antique times. There are numerous roman testimonies. The “magnifica patria, a federation of 36 councils, was created to oppose a resistance to the Barbaric raids.

The “magnifica patria” was composed of the territory that we know of today as the “sponda bresciana”, from limone to the “valle sabbia e tenesi” down to desenzano.

On the 13 may 1426, after a long period of war, peace was finally found, spontaneously joining the “serenissima republic of Venice, who gave them large autonomy.

In the main square we can still find today a column with the lion of “san marco” , symbol of Venice.

During the sixth century arose academies and cultural city life, characterised by famous people such as the humanist jacobo Bonfadio, Gasparro da salo, violin maker, considered the inventor of the violin, the astrologer PaoloGallucci and the philosopher Antonio Caino.

The notaries college was founded and Giuseppe Mejo and a group of 18 young students founded on the 20 th of may 1564 the academy of humanities and concords from which still today descends the salo athenaeum.

In 1796 napoleons troops fought with Austrian troops in salo.

The e end of the Venetian republic ended salo's position as the capital of the Riviera joining it to the “cisalpine” republic and then the Italian reign.

In 1848 salo joined the Milan revolution against the Hapsburg's flag and instituted the National Guard.

The were many volunteers that fought with the piedmonts and garibaldi.

But after the battle of custoza the Austrians took control of the town.

The 18 th June 1859, Garibaldi entered salo and was welcomed by a happy crowd; the town worked to help the injured of the battles of san martino e solferino.

From September 1943 until April 1945 during the Second World War salo again became important by being the capital of the Social Republic of Italy.

Even today it is possible to visit the important locations of the R.S.I.

Salo:

-The ex junior school in via Brunati 43/45 base of the Agenzia via Laudi 6

Gardone Riviera

-The ministry of popular culture, villa Amadei, in piazza carmine 6

-The ministry of foreign affairs , villa Simone now hotel Laurin in

-Centre of German transmissions in Italy, now Villa Alba in corso Zanardelli

-The house of Claretta Petacci, mistress of Mussolini, now Villa Fiordaliso in corso Zanardelli 32

Gargnano:

-The headquarters of the president of ministers, Palazzo Bettoni in via liberta 77 a Bogliaco

-The family house of Mussolini, Villa Feltrinelli, located in San Giacomo

Garda Isle

Villa de Ferrari-Borghese-Cavazza: Neogothic-venetian Villa built between 1890 - 1903 fro a project by Luigi Rovelli (1850 - 1911) from the Duke Gaetano de Ferrari and his wife, the Archduchess Maria Annenknoff.