Chiesa di San Francesco


The Franciscans were Gargnano’s first inhabitants, and their modest 13th-century Romanesque church is the village's main monument. They were also some of the first farmers to cultivate citrus fruits in Europe, and you’ll find an array of lemons, oranges and melons carved lovingly into the capitals inside the surviving cloisters.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Parco la Fontanella

0.46 MILES

A 300m stroll north from the ferry landing brings you to a beach where gleaming white pebbles fringe shallow crystalline waters. The shore, bar and…

2. Museo della Carta

3.83 MILES

The Toscolano torrent upstream fed numerous paper mills in the Middle Ages and you can follow the riverside road up the wooded Valle delle Cartiere and…

3. Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo

5.45 MILES

Looking out across Lake Garda, this large church is worth a look for its exquisitely painted ceilings, altars by Tomezzoli and Benedetti and an angel…

4. Castello Scaligero

5.63 MILES

This atmospheric museum packs a wealth of history into the rough stone walls of a 14th-century castle. The fortification was built in 1338 as part of the…

5. Il Vittoriale degli Italiani

6.46 MILES

Poet, soldier, hypochondriac and proto-Fascist, Gabriele d'Annunzio (1863–1938) defies easy definition, and so does his estate. Bombastic, extravagant and…

7. Isola del Garda

7.4 MILES

It's not often you get to explore such a stunning private island, villa and grounds. Anchored just off Salò, this speck of land is crowned with impressive…

8. Parco Baia delle Sirene

7.82 MILES

The privately owned Parco Baia delle Sirene rents sun loungers beneath the trees on Punta San Vigilio's beach. Entry is free at sunset.

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