Gardone Riviera was already populated in the roman period and then was conquered by Langobards (its name Gardone is said deriving from the German word warda, fortress).
Since the XIII century the Bishop of Brescia owned this municipality and in 1334 Gardone Joined the "Comunità della Riviera di Salò". Years later Gardone was included in the "Magnifica Patria" (Magnificent Homeland), and in 1861 joined the Kingdom of Italy.
From 1943 to 1945, several buildings of Gardone hosted Ministries and Embassies of the Republic of Salò.
The Vittoriale degli italiani (The shrine of Italian victories) is a hillside monumental citadel overlooking the Lake Garda and it is where the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio lived from 1921 until 1938. The architect Giancarlo Maroni planned the structure which has been a National Monument since 1925.
Gabriele d’Annunzio was an Italian writer, poet, journalist, playwright and soldier during World War I. He occupied a prominent place in Italian literature from 1889 to 1910 and later political life from 1914 to 1924. He was often referred to under the epithets Il Vate ("the Poet") or Il Profeta ("the Prophet"). Defined as "the last remarkable character of the everlasting poetic italian tradition", as politician he deeply influenced all the further events.
The monumental entrance is constituted by a couple of arches and, in the middle, a fountain showing in bronze letters a quotation of the Libro Segreto (The secret Book), D'Annunzio's last work. Over the fountain, a couple of cornucopias (horn of plenty) and the poet's famous motto "IO SONO QUEL CHE HO DONATO" (I AM WHAT I GAVE). At the entrance, the first itinerary brings to the Prioria, D'Annunzio house then become museum, to the protective cruiser Puglia and the Mausoleum where lies the poet's tomb. The second itinerary brings to the gardens, to the Amphitheatre and, down the hill towards the shore, to the orchard and the citrus grove.
The Vittoriale hosts many prestigious events every summer, which saw the passage of famous actors, étoiles as Carla Fracci and Eleonora Abbagnato, international music stars as Lou Reed, Michael Bolton ad Patty Smith.
