Visit Arco
The town of Arco is located to the north of the plain of the Upper Garda, in an attractive setting with sheer cliffs to one side and overlooked by the castle.
It stands at the end of the Sarca River valley which flows into Garda Lake, and the position, protected by the mountains and the proximity of Garda Lake, allows this area to maintain a mild climate, so the city has been a holiday resort for several centuries.
A visit to Arco will usually start from the Castle. According to some sources, the construction of Arco castle originated in the Middle Ages, and was erected by the residents of Arco - only later becoming the property of the local noble family of the Counts of Arco, who dominated these lands. The castle was abandoned during the 18th century following the siege by French troops in 1703. A careful restoration in 1986 and others in subsequent years have allowed the discovery and recovery of a few cycles of frescoes depicting knights and court ladies of medieval times.
The houses of the old town, hugging the ancient castle cliff, offer an interesting route to follow through Arco, starting with the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace. The shrine and the nearby monastery were built between 1475 and 1492 at the behest of the local count. In the following centuries the building has undergone several renovations, but arches and some columns with plain capitals dating from the early construction of the 15th century are still visible in the cloister. Inside, the shrine holds a wooden statue depicting the Virgin Mary, probably also dating from the 15th century.
Enter Into the Collegiate Church of the Assumpion ["Collegiate" comes from the Latin term "Collegium", and indicates that there was in that place a community of priests who lived in common], a work dating from the late Renaissance by G.M. Filippi (17th century, the architect of the Imperial Court).
With one aisle, there is a marble statue dedicated to the Assumption, perhaps by the sculptor Gabriele Cagliari da Verona. Among the altars, of which five are works by Domenico Rossi (1675-1696), the fourth on the right, enclosed by an iron railing and brass, is dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, and the second left altar is dedicated to Mary Magdalene - it was sculpted by brothers Christopher and Sebastian Benedetti di Castione (18th century). On the first altar on the left is a painting of the “Madonna and Child Jesus, Two Angels and St. Michael the Archangel”, attributed to Felice Brusasorzi ( 1539-1605, a Mannerist painter). The choir is a work of Giacomo Benedetti di Desenzano del Garda completed in 1731. Near the chancel there are two entrances in the floor that lead to an underground tomb, where the canons of the Collegiate and local Counts were buried in the past.
Among other religious buildings, particularly remarkable is the Church of St. Apollinaris, of Romanesque origin, in the village of Prabi. The façade and exterior were painted between the 15th and 16th centuries, while the interior holds precious 14th century frescoes.Also worth mentioning are the Church of St. Martin (located in San Martin, it was completely rebuilt during the 16th century - inside there are several cycles of frescoes from the Italian Renaissance) and the Church of San Rocco (located in the village of Caneve, and dating from the 14th century).
Among the civil buildings in Arco, note the Palazzo Marchetti. The building, originally called the “Palace of St Peter” dates from the sixteenth century and it is located on the east side of the Collegiate Church of the Assumption. The building was owned by Count Arco until the mid-19th century. Inside the building there are several cycles of frescoes from different ages and artists, while at the southern entrance of the building there is a prominent portal attributed to the painter and sculptor Giulio Romano (1499-1546). Another palace is the Palazzo dei Panni ('Cloths'), which was built in the last decades of the 17th century. Its construction was ordered by Count Gianbattista of Arco (died 1722); the powerful witness of the local Counts of Arco is still visible on the portal, dominated by the family coat of arms. Towards the end of the 18th century the building was converted into a woollen mill, frm where the name of 'Cloths Palace' is likely to derive.
Arco, in addition to being a city with strong medieval connections, has long been known primarily as a 'winter health resort city', and as a result there are several buildings dating from the late 19th century.
Arco also has some features of artistic interest; for example, starting from the statue dedicated to Giovanni Segantini (1858-1899, an important local “Divisionist” painter) and near the apse of the Collegiate, there is also the famous “tettoia” [“penthouse”], with which tourism at Arco started. Typical monuments of the “winter health resort city” are the Casino (now the Library), the monument to the founders of a mountaineering company, a monument to Archduke Albert (1559-1621), and above all, a continuous series of villas and baths dating back to the birth of Arco as a resort.
There is also a long tradition of good food here. The local cuisine is very tempting, especially in winter, with dishes such as potato “gnocchi” with Bacon, “rucola” and “ricotta”, “Franciscan tagliatelle”, “ravioli” with bacon, apples and nuts with melted butter, “Spaghetti Guitar” with crisp vegetables, cream of potato and leeks with crispy bacon all being popular.
See also history of Arco