The Municipality of Tremosine sul Garda is surrounded by the lush Alto Garda Bresciano Park, where the mountains meet the lake. Tremosine is a ‘scattered town’, made up of 18 rural hamlets, with just over 2,000 inhabitants.
The name and emblem of Tremosine sul Garda
The name of Tremosine sul Garda dates back many centuries - it was first recorded in 1185 and probably derives from ‘Tremusina’, a family name of Etruscan origin.
On the town hall façade you can admire the official emblem of Tremosine sul Garda dated May 12th 1268, but an even older example of the emblem can be found in the church of San Giovanni Battista a Pieve. The town hall building is located in Piazza Marconi, right in Pieve di Tremosine sul Garda, a stone's throw from the historic center.
The emblem of Tremosine sul Garda contains the main features of the ‘comunitas Tremoseni’ - mountain and sky. However, the most interesting element remains the inscription ‘et tu viator vale’, wishing travellers and wanderers a happy journey.
In fact, once upon a time crossing the mountains that overlooked the lake and reaching Tremosine sul Garda was a real feat. On a Roman funerary stone you can still read ‘good luck, o passer-by’.
Tremosine sul Garda in history
Arturo Cozzaglio found the first prehistoric settlement remains in the Tremosine sul Garda area along the path that leads to the port, while several prehistoric, Etruscan and Roman remains testify that several populations passed through the region.
Tremosine sul Garda was probably an Etruscan outpost, and later around 1200 AD it was disputed between Trento and Lombardy.
Before entering the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom in 1815, Tremosine sul Garda was part of the Serenissima Republic of Venice, and finally in 1861 it became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
Two more recent dates have marked more than others the change of daily life of Tremosine sul Garda - the construction of the Feltrinelli cotton mill in Campione in 1896, and the inauguration of Strada della Forra in 1913.
In 1931, the section of Gardesana road leading from Riva del Garda to Gargnano was opened, marking the end of Tremosine sul Garda ’s isolation and the start of its tourism industry at the same time.
A curious fact about Tremosine sul Garda?
Tremosine sul Garda has been a favourite holiday destination for many famous people. Among these, we can’t neglect to mention Winston Churchill, who loved the Strada della Forra so much that he called it the "eighth wonder of the world".
Other famous visitors include the Viennese painter Gustav Klimt, who spent the summer of 1913 in Tremosine sul Garda. You can still find a plaque in his honour in the alleys of the historic centre.
