il vittoriale degli italiani

There is a huge boat basically on top of the hill. Not sure why.There are many other bizarre & interesting things.

It's a magic place where everything reminds and let you know and understand betters the magnificent poet. All the locations inside the big house express the great beauty of Gabriele D'annunzio.

In amongst the mountains of Italy, as you begin the climb towards the smaller villages such as Tresnico, you stumble upon a large walled and gated area. Over the walls you can make out a large stone structure that always reminded me of Minas Tirith and.. wait, is that the mast of a boat?! Of course, my friends and I had to go in to investigate.Myself and two others visited Il Vittoriale degli Italiani in the first week of September whilst on holiday from England, and it certainly didn't disappoint. I almost don't want to go into too much detail for fear of spoiling it for any other unaware folk who stumble upon it, so I'll nutshell it. The amphitheatre? Glorious. The sculptures littering the grounds? Strange, out-of-time creations that were the collected works of either geniuses or madmen. The main house is a masterpiece of contemporary architecture, again with strange twists at every turn. D'Annunzio was not what you would call 'regular'. His tastes for the eccentric and extravagant are as apparent here as they were throughout the course of his life.That and the ship mounted on the side of a mouintain.. Oops! Spoilers..Be warned, there's never enough time to see everything in this place. It's winding paths leading down to the unique pool/performance area/fountain are not to be rushed, and the views from atop the mausoleum should be savoured, not simply snapped for a later slideshow. It is simply humbling.On a quick side note, there isn't a page for the restaurant opposite the entrance in Vittoriale itself, but they do serve the most wonderful mackerel.

In 2010 visiting the Gardone Riviera at Lake Garda we visited the Vittoriale degli Italiani gardens and house. Well worth a visit going around the house then those unusual garden fountains and statues, when you come across this warship. Why not? We went on board the deck taking in the views of the garden and the playing the Titanic role for a photo shoot at the front of the ship. Worth a visit if your visiting the town of Gardone Riviera.

Part Dr. Caligari's cabinet, part Charles Foster Kane's Xanadu, part Elvira's lair, Il Vittoriale easily ranks as one of the most macabre residences ever built. Gabrielle d'Annunzio was a decorated First World War hero and (bad) poet, but his eccentricity and monomania proved troublesome even to Mussolini, and he lived out most of his strange life in self-imposed exile here in his living mausoleum overlooking Lake Garda. Both the eccentricity and the monomania are more than evident everywhere you look, from the monumental tomb atop the sprawling grounds to the actual battleship stuffed into the side of a hill. The villa is the centerpiece for d'Annunzio's epic strangeness, and it's worth hanging around for a tour. The film introductions and the guides themselves treat their subject with portentous reverence, but the house speaks for itself. Connoisseurs of the bizarre will revel in the gloriously overwrought Gothic trappings and dank, claustrophobic rooms (no photos allowed). Highlights include the coffin-like bed in the "leper's room," and the poet's gilded pet turtle in the dining room, a reminder to guests of the dangers of indigestion. Seeing is believing at Il Vittoriale -- or maybe not.

Such a pretty area filled with flowers, interesting buildings and lots to see. There was nothing to dislike!

Spent an afternoon in these gardens, but ran out of time and didn't get time to go round the house. The gardens are really fantastic with lots of different styles, waterfalls, walks, buildings, including a warship built into the grounds. It was a pity we didn't get time to do the house, which by the looks of the guide book would have been great

Such an eclectic mixture of architecture, gardens and artefacts, plus a fabulous view over the lake - it just has to be seen. Try to catch the video summary which greets you as you enter the underground museum. It gives a summary of D'Annunzio's life and without it, the place just wouldn't make sense. Surprisingly it has English subtitles.

It is hard to find words to describe the home of d'Annunzio. We had always wanted to visit and managed this time as we were staying at Maderno and were able to catch the boat to Gardone. From the boat stop it is a long walk and some of it uphill to the house. And it is badly signed. We found the first sign setting us off to the right of the main square but then found no sign for quite a long way. There is a large car park just outside the house. We paid 26 euros for the two of us at the reduced pensioners rate. Although I said I was under 65 the lovely lady on the desk just charged us both as pensioners. Well worth a visit . So what is there : fantastic gardens which would be even better earlier in the year. We visited at the back end and they were still delightful. The ship odd in its setting in the garden. The museum full of clothes and artifacts of the man. A building housing the motorboat he used. You could spend quite a long time just walking round these attractions without even going in the house. Then there is the mausoleum which is interesting in its own right. Men and boys would be fascinated by what was outside.The house was amazing. We were booked on the 10.50 English tour . We had to leave bags and cameras in the free lockers and when inside the house we could understand why. The guide was wonderful. Perfect English and just enough information . Too much might have been over the top. There is not much room inside and only a small number of people can go on the tour. But this is good as it makes for an intimate tour. Each room is dark and gloomy and reflect the mans taste in furniture and artifacts. We spent an almost an hour going from room to room each one wierder than the last . Was it worth the visit - most definately. If you are interested in Italian history or even want to see the oddest house in Italy it is well worth the money.There is a small cafe which serves both hot and cold drinks and paninis and a small shop. Amazing and a lovely day out.

A little more expensive than most attractions on the lake at 16 euro but worth the money as we were there for 4 hours! A very interesting house and insight into this mans life, beautiful gardens, a boat, a plane, cars and even an ampitheatre. Something for everyone to enjoy. Well worth a visit!

Fab place, weird and wonderful. The views are amazing, the house is crazy and the theatre has one of the most beautiful stages I've ever seen. Try to see a play or concert!

Guided tour of this famous poet, Gabriele d'Annunzio's home was amazing. The cluttered rooms all with so much history and a story in every room. The gardens are amazing! Who doesn't have a full sized ship in their garden?

Boys/men you will enjoy this garden visit. It's a garden with a difference, the house/museum visit should not be missed.Art, boats and battleships with fabulous views over the lake are all to see here, forget the botanical gardens go here instead.

This was certainly worth a visit and could not be described! Has to be seen to be believed. Take the little train up to the Grounds and museum. The grounds are lovely and lots to see.

A very interesting visit. It is quite hilly and requires some energy to see the whole, extensive garden. Well worth a visit.