Historic venue gears up for music festival

By Cesare Greselin, Contributor to the OutlookJune 14, 2018

Historic venue
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BRESCIA, Italy -- The Vittoriale Amphitheater in Gardone Riviera, on the banks of Lake Garda, is a place where one can enter in the atmosphere of history, culture and music at the same time.

This summer, the amphitheater again plays host to a big calendar of concerts. This year, the festival, called Tenere-A-Mente, starts off June 23 with the most admired and influential guitarists in the world -- Jeff Beck.

While enjoying a concert, visitors can admire the Island of Garda, Mount (Monte) Baldo in the far distance, the point of Sirmione, and the Rocca of Manarba. The Vittoriale is not just a music venue, however. In addition to the amphitheater, there are gardens, waterways, and the streams Acquapazza and Acquasavia that meet and form the shape of a violin, as well as a villa.

The villa was built between 1921 and 1938, on the hillsides of Lake Garda by Gabriele D'Annunzio, World War I soldier-poet, and architect Giancarlo Maroni. Guests are welcome to visit the museum of "D'Annunzio The Hero" in what was his house, called La Prioria. In the house, every room is named, such as the room "Mascheraio," D'Annunzio met with Mussolini before the World War II.

Visitors will also see his plane "Ansaldo S.V.A.," which he used to fly from the province of Padova to Vienna Aug. 9, 1918, to drop flyers regarding the liberty of Italy. Approximately 210,000 visitors come to the site each year. D'Annunzio died March 1, 1938, and a mausoleum with his remains sits on the highest point of the hill in the park.

Other concerts on the 2018 roster are as follows:

June 27, "The Dream Syndicate"

July 4, Ben Howard

July 7, "Cigarettes After Sex"

July 8, Steve Hackett "Genesis Revisited" (yes, he was the guitarist)

July 11, Franz Ferdinand

July 13, Italian folk singer Francesco De Gregori

July 18, Pat Metheny

July 21, Vinicio Capossela, and Italian folk singer with a theatrical concert

July 24, Norah Jones

July 25, Marcus Miller

July 30, Anna Calvi

The amazing calendar of concerts concludes with Yan Tiersen on July 31.

Previous concerts at Vittoreale have included such big names as Lou Reed, Pat Metheny, The Lumineers, Joan Baez, Counting Crows, Ron Carter, Patti Smith, Paul Weller of Jam, and King Crimson -- to name a few.

For more information, check out the website www.anfiteatrodelvittoriale.it.

Related Links:

USAG Italy Facebook page

USAG Italy website