Locanda San Vigilio Garda - Veneto.

A local legend, often recounted to guests staying at the Locanda San Vigilio, tells the tale of Virgilio, a descendent of the faun, Satiro, and how he travelled from Sicily all the way up the Italian peninsula, until he reached Lake Garda. Here he fell hopelessly in love with the nymph "Stella". Unfortunately, his love was not reciprocated and, to punish her, Virgilio promptly transformed Stella in to a rock.

The "Rock of Stella" is still clearly visible from the Locanda San Vigilio, an edifice constructed following designs by the eminent Verona-born architect and military engineer Michele Sanmicheli (1484 - 1559). Sanmicheli was responsible for a great number of important works of high renaissance architecture in Verona, including the Palazzo Canossa, Palazzo Bevilacqua, and the city's monumental gateways.

In the 17th century the Locanda San Vigilio began offering hospitality to Italian and European travelers visiting Lake Garda. Since then, any number of important historical figures have graced the rooms of the lakeside hotel with their presence: from Napoleon Bonaparte to Winston Churchill.

Rows of century old cypress and shimmering olive trees line the road leading to the historical residence. Locanda San Viglio's elegant guest bedrooms, some of which with private garden and looking directly on to the lake, are all individually appointed with antique furnishings and luxurious textiles. The hotel's sumptuous Grand Suite, with exposed wooden beams and fabulous four poster bed, is embellished with priceless period art works and tapestries.

A cobbled path skirts around the residence and leads to the hotel's small port and the ancient Taverna where pilgrims used to rest and seek sustenance during their travels. Today the garden next to the Taverna is used to host a sumptuous buffet (each weekend, from June through to September).

The garden, scattered with olive trees, provides an idyllic setting for the hotel's attractive swimming pool. Surrounded by the breathtakingly beautiful scenery of Lake Garda, Locanda San Viglio's water-edge restaurant provides the perfect venue for romantic candle lit dinners, glamorous wedding receptions, and important business lunches. Locanda San Vigilio's delicious seasonal menus give particular emphasis to local fish dishes and are accompanied by a quite impeccable wine list.

Locanda San Vigilio is the perfect choice for holiday makers wishing to combine a romantic vacation on Lake Garda with any of an extensive range of outdoor sporting activities or world class spa treatments. The hotel lies within easy reach of a number of prestigious golf clubs, tennis courts, and sports centers offering lessons in scuba diving, clay pigeon shooting, sailing and horse riding. The Sirmione Spa and the Garda Thermal Park are, likewise, just a few minutes away from Punta San Vigilio.