Piazza della Serenissima

The origins of the municipality of Salò are barely known: its autonomy from Brescia can be dated towards the end of the 13th century or the beginning of the next one, and the most ancient statues conserved by the city authorities are dated 1397.

 

From 1943 to 1945 Salò was seat of government of Benito Mussolini's Nazi-backed puppet state, the Italian Social Republic, also known as the Republic of Salò: Villa Castagna was the seat of the police headquarters, Villa Amedei was the head office of the Ministry of Popular Culture, Villa Simonini (nowadays Hotel Laurin) was the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Stefani Agency, which distributed official press releases, was located in Via Brunati.

 

Already know in the Roman Age,Salò has always played a key role in the history of Garda Lake and Italy. Important trading capital during the middle ages, the great violin maker Gasparo da Salò was born in 1426 joined the “Serenissima” Republic of Venice, as witnessed still nowadays by the column of the lion in San Marco, the main square of the town: Piazza della Serenissima