Borghetto

Its foundation dates back to the Lombard period (7th-8th AD) from which it derives its name meaning "fortified settlement." The location was perfect, on the banks of the Mincio River and close to the moraine hills of Garda, excellent for building a Curtis Regia for collecting tolls for crossing and navigating the Mincio River. With the arrival of the Scaligeris, the first mighty walls were then built to defend the center and two drawbridges were constructed to connect Borghetto to the Curtis Regia. The decision to build the Visconti bridge, strongly desired by the Viscontis to protect the newly conquered Veronese territories, started the decline of Borghetto: the course of the river was changed and so navigation was blocked. In the following centuries the source of wealth was exploited mainly by the hydraulic power of the river, building dozens of mills, and by fishing on the Mincio; activities that lasted until the beginning of the xxth century when a new form of wealth called tourism came knocking on the doors of Borghetto. Today, the Borghetto has been recovered through careful restoration work; the old houses have now become restaurants, bed & breakfasts, and typical eateries, but always with respect for local tradition.