Castello Scaligero, Medieval castle in Malcesine, Italy.
Castello Scaligero sits on a limestone cliff above Lake Garda and features a tower rising over 30 meters high alongside multiple courtyards linked by drawbridges. The structure displays typical medieval defense features and houses a natural history museum inside.
Lombards built the original fortress, which the Scaliger family expanded in the 13th century before Venice took control in 1405. Venetian rule brought improvements to the defenses.
The museum inside displays plants, animals, and rocks from the Lake Garda region and Monte Baldo, showing visitors the nature that surrounds the castle. The exhibits help explain how the place's past is tied to its natural surroundings.
Visitors enter through the Siresina gateway and can explore three levels connected by drawbridges throughout the castle. Seasonal opening hours vary by time of year, so it helps to check ahead.
The German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited the castle during his Italian journey and sketched its distinctive structure. These drawings show how much the place impressed him.
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