On Lake Garda there is a place full of emotions waiting to be discovered… from above! This Garda territory is made up of water and beaches but surrounded by spectacular hills and mountains, one of which is where Tremosine and its charming hamlet of Pieve are located.
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The History of Pieve di Tremosine
The unique position of Pieve di Tremosine has made it one of the most admired villages in the Garda area, also due to its history. As we have seen, it is a hamlet of Tremosine, or rather the hamlet-capital due to its history and larger size compared to the other 17 small hamlets in this area.
The charm of Pieve derives from its past and the unique landscape it offers, from its height of 400 meters above Lake Garda. Inhabited since the Neolithic period, this settlement also presents evidence of the Roman era, and in the Middle Ages it became a Pieve, that is, a parish church that served as a hub for the surrounding area.
Already in the ninth century there was a chapel in Pieve di Tremosine which was demolished and rebuilt in the year 1000 with the intention of creating a larger church, a Pieve dedicated to Santa Maria. It was a successful endeavor, because by 1186 this Pieve was a religious and civic center on Lake Garda, which would stand the test of time. The Romanesque building of the time was demolished at the end of the sixteenth century, except for the old bell tower, and the church of San Giovanni Battista which we will discuss later was built.
Streets and Beauties of Pieve di Tremosine
Its unique position is due to the fact that Pieve is located on top of a rock that originates from an ancient glacier.
For many centuries, the territory was connected to the lake only through a fascinating road, the Sentiero del Porto, and inconvenient and not easily passable mule tracks, which partially isolated these populations. Despite the spectacular view from the path, it was hard work to carry food and goods on these roads.
It was for this reason that, at the end of the nineteenth century, a connection system was built that is still memorable today. Three cable cars were built, which ended near the fracture of the rock close to the church, then on Piazza Cozzaglio, and a third on the military outskirts in the square. Today, the hook of the cable car that connected the village to the port on Lake Garda is still fixed to a rock.
It was in 1913 that the Porto-Pieve-Vesio road was inaugurated, which lightened the communications but without changing the breathtaking landscape between lake and sky, for which this territory is famous. The road winds its way through the rock walls, following the path of the Brasa stream, and can be walked today to enjoy the scenery.
One of the most beautiful villages in Italy
Since 2009 it has been one of the most beautiful villages in Italy because it lives among water and mountains, the plain that can be seen from above, and the houses gathered in the ancient urban planning of narrow alleys.
You will find medieval houses, the bell tower, the ancient town hall with a suggestive fountain, and a splendid view of Lake Garda and Monte Baldo. In Pieve di Tremosine there is also a characteristic spiral staircase, in the house of the famous local “Arturo”, Arturo Cozzaglio, an engineer and geologist who participated in various renovation projects in his village.
Note that on the building of the Municipal Historical Archive there is a representation of the lion of St. Mark, a reminder of Venetian domination from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century. The lion holds the Gospel book with the inscription: “Pax tibi, Marce; evangelista meus”.
In particular, however, Pieve di Tremosine is known for its Terrazza del Brivido, from which you can admire Lake Garda at a height of 350 meters! You can immerse yourself with your eyes on the lake, or on the Parco dell’Alto Garda Bresciano, in a suspended dimension that also makes distances seem strange. We know, for example, that looking at the village from below, from the Port of Garda, it almost seems impossible to reach, while from the top of the Terrace everything can seem below and reachable…
The Church of San Giovanni Battista
As we have seen, it was born as a baptistery and to administer sacraments in the surrounding area, Santa Maria became San Giovanni only in the late Renaissance.
This single-nave church is a landmark for recognizing Pieve di Tremosine and houses works from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, including the wooden sculptures by the artist from Castel Condino, Giacomo Lucchini. These include choir stalls, organ, sacristy counter, confessional, all created in a perfectly eighteenth-century style. There is also a pre-existing sixteenth-century fresco in the apse, and on the side door there is a coat of arms with three profiled heads, marked with the C and T of Comunitas Tremoseni.
The famous Triduo machine also dates back to this eighteenth-century period, a painted wooden set with 365 candles, which is mounted every year on the high altar for a 3-day prayer journey for the dead. Each candle represents a day, and the rite is celebrated at the beginning of Lent. If, on the other hand, you want to attend the patronal feast of Pieve di Tremosine, then you must arrive in San Giovanni on June 24.
Food and Wine Events in Pieve di Tremosine
For those who love the beauty of villages, especially to “savor” them, Pieve does not disappoint with its typical dishes such as polenta cusa (black flour, cheese, and butter), or Capù (an appetizer with bread roll and olive oil). In addition, you can taste stuffed tortelli, formaggella di Tremosine, roasted meats, and other local delicacies. Among the desserts, there are the spongadì, typical Easter delights.
