THE VITTORIALE DEGLI ITALIANI: MY VISIT TO GABRIELE D’ANNUNZIO’S HOME

What is exactly theVittoriale degli Italiani ?
It’s not easy to answer this question because the Vittoriale is a house but also a museum, and is especially the place where Gabriele D’Annunzio lived during the last period of his life.

A house museum, an extraordinary place on Lake Garda, paths of olive trees and a day at my disposal to visit my favourite museum.

My visit to the Vittoriale degli Italiani

THE VITTORIALE WHAT TO SEE AND HOW TO VISIT IT

I arrived in Gardone Riviera in the late morning and, after admiring some glimpse of Lake Garda along the way, I went up towards the Vittoriale degli Italiani.
Fortunately, when I decided to book my admission ticket I booked also the parking reservation (at the end of the post I’ll explain how to do), because it would be a big problem finding a free parking space!

To see the Vittoriale degli Italiani there are many options: you can make the complete tour (gardens, museums and D’Annunzio’s home); you may see only the gardens or the gardens and the museums, but not the poet’s home.
I chose the complete tour and the visit to the interior of the house, which has strict opening hours, because only small groups are allowed to enter and only accompanied by a guide.

The Priory
Gabriele D’Annunzio’s dwelling, also called the Priory, consists of small rooms containing an incredible amount of books, art objects, memorabilia of an entire life, musical instruments and much more.
In my opinion, you can’t go to the Vittoriale and not enter because it means missing the real masterwork of this place, not understanding the meaning of this house and Gabriele D’Annunzio’s plan.

What to see in D’Annunzio’s dwelling?

With a museum guide you won’t miss the most important halls and objects in the house, however you should take a close look at two rooms: the Room of the Mascheraio, reserved for unwelcome guests who might wait for a long time before being received by D’Annunzio; and the Officina (Workshop), that is to say the poet’s study whose small access door obliged people to bend their head down as a homage to art which was born here.

The Gardens
After seeing D’Annunzio’s dwelling, I discovered the Gardens, overlooked by the Mausoleum housing the poet’s tomb and crossed by the Torrente dell’ Acquapazza (Stream of Crazy Water).
The walk among fountains, olive trees and cypress trees is enjoyable, and even there you can feel the presence of D’Annunzio who placed here and there the memorabilia of his life and his feats.

In fact, in the Gardens is located a hangar especially designed for the MAS 96: the anti-submarine motorboat employed by D’Annunzio during the military raid known as the “Bukar mockery”.
On the highest point on the estate, instead, is the Mausoleum from which, at the foot of D’Annunzio’s tomb, you can admire the amazing landscape of Lake Garda.
From the Mausoleum, then, you can glimpse the Royal Ship Puglia, a gift to Gabriele D’Annunzio from the Italian Royal Navy and set inside the park of the Vittoriale with its bow in direction of Lake Garda and the Adriatic Sea.
And then, the suggestive and romantic paths leading to the Pond of the Dances where the poet organized shows and small concerts together with his mistress, the pianist Luisa Baccara.

HOW TO BOOK YOUR VISIT TO THE VITTORIALE DEGLI ITALIANI

The Vittoriale is always open, except on December 24th and 25th and January 1st.
In addition, from November to February is closed on Mondays.

You’d better book your entrance ticket, especially if you want to enter D’Annunzio’s home, because the number of the tickets available daily is limited by the number of turns of the guided tours which are mandatory.

The official site of Fondazione Il Vittoriale degli Italiani is the only way to book your entrance ticket.

I’ll leave you the links to arrange your visit and check the opening times, in summertime and wintertime – Link Biglietteria Vittoriale

READ ALSO – On Sunday at the museum: how to plan a visit to a museum