Bardolino - History
The name Bardolino has Germanic origins. As in all the towns of Lake Garda, many finds from the Roman era have been discovered in Bardolino too. Documentary appearances of the name Bardolino date back to the invasions of the Longobards, Goths, Franks and Visconti. During the period from 829 to 856, there were battles between the Veronese and the communities of Garda so towards the end of the ninth century King Berengario granted permission to the populations of all Lake Garda to build strongholds and forts in order to protect their territories. The modern structure of the town of Bardolino can be seen in a map of 1439 which is housed in the State Archive in Venice and shows the town walls, four towers and two entrance ways. Just like most of the towns of Lake Garda, Bardolino came under the rule of the Scaligeri, followed by the Visconti and finally the Serenissima Republic of Venice. It was in the gulf right in front of Bardolino that the hardest battle of Lake Garda was fought, between the Visconti and the Venetians. In 1562 it was plundered by the Lanzichenecchi and in 1798 it became part of Austria. In 1848 Bardolino went up against the Austrian troops and finally in 1866 became part of the Kingdom of Italy.