With the Villa Rosa Hotel as your base, you can take a short, leisurely stroll along the Lungolago Cesare Battisti promenade (on exiting the hotel, turn right) to reach the centre of Desenzano del Garda. If you would prefer to go by car, please bear in mind that there are only a limited number of parking spaces in the centre, which are not free and are very often already taken.

The starting point for the development of Desenzano was the location of the Roman Villa, which makes for a great first stop on your tour of what the town has to offer.

To visit the ruins of the Roman Villa, take the Lungolago Cesare Battisti (heading towards the town centre), then take a right onto Via Gramsci followed by a left onto Via Scavi Romani. The ruins date mostly from the early 4th century AD and feature wonderful multicoloured mosaics in the peristyle and elsewhere. In the antiquarium, there is a small exhibition of all of the statues and other material uncovered during the excavation.

The next stop on your tour should be the town centre itself, which can be easily reached by taking Vicolo Crocifisso and continuing along Via Roma. The heart of the town is constituted by Piazza Malvezzi, a grand square with sumptuous porticoes and wonderful shops. In the centre of the porticoes, there is a white building known as the Palazzo del Provveditore Veneto (the former palace of the Venetian Governor, dating from 1585), whereas – facing the ancient docks – there is the Palazzo Comunale (the town council building, dating from 1580). Both of these incomplete buildings were designed by Brescian architect Giulio Todeschini.

The Porto Vecchio (or ‘old port’), which was mentioned as far back as 1274 and was built during the years of the Venetian Republic, serves as the lakeside edge of the square. In 1806, work began on the construction of the jetty and the Nordic-style lighthouse, whereas the Venetian-style bridge was built in 1937 and has recently been restored.

On the short side of the square, you can admire the Duomo di Santa Maria Maddalena (Cathedral of Saint Mary Magdalene), which was constructed to a design by Giulio Todeschini. This building, too, was never completed, probably due to the financial problems that resulted from a sudden economic crisis – that said, it is nevertheless a beautiful church, with a stunning façade characterised by Baroque features and embellished with statues by Lorenzo Muttoni and Sante Calegari the Younger. Inside the church, there is a remarkable Last Supper by Tiepolo.

Continuing on from the Porto Vecchio, you come immediately to Piazza Matteotti and then to Via Anelli, which is the location for the Archaeological Museum. Named after Giovanni Rambotti, the museum is situated within the 15th-century cloister of the former church of Santa Maria de Senioribus. Inside, the museum houses a range of Bronze age relics and a highly significant wooden plough dating from 2000 BC – the oldest of its type so far discovered.

Turning back and heading along Via Carducci and Via Sant’Angela Merici, you come to the ancient Castle, which was probably first built in the Middle Ages, before being restructured twice – initially, during the 14th or 15th centuries and, subsequently, by the Austrians.