Just 15 minutes from the Milan-Venice highway and the chaotic Lake Garda another dimension awaits.

Immerse yourself in Virgil's atmosphere: "Here the Mincio covers the verdant banks of collapsible reeds ...".

We are in Castellaro Lagusello (MN) a fortified village that is reflected in its heart-shaped pond surrounded by the landscape of moraine hills and ploughed fields. A village forgotten by time: with ancient Guelph walls, river stone paving, original stone walls of parsonage and houses like the one wrapped in vines in front of Villa Arrighi-Tacoli.

You will never tire of looking at it. It has remained intact since the thirteenth century. The villa, with walls surrounded by Guelph merlons and mullioned windows, is the transformation of the pre-existing feudal castle that is reflected in the pond (which gave the village its name) and incorporates the church of San Giuseppe from whose small square you can access the water via a short staircase.

The wooden boats moored on the shore add enchantment to the simple beauty of the marsh reeds and the luxuriant surrounding nature - idyllic even when the first melancholy autumn mists descend.

The view from the south of the village is also splendid, embracing the walls dating back to the eleventh century (once divided by 9 towers) and the entrance to the small village on the north side, through the wide door that until the 1700s was for a drawbridge.

Above is a high square tower known as the clock tower. Among the rustic houses, you encounter the baroque church dedicated to San Nicola. In the side alleys, silence reigns, pierced only by the hens' cries in the courtyards.

It is a place to walk slowly, enjoying the tranquillity of life and savouring the taste of things.

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BORGHI PIÙ BELLI D’ITALIA #INLOMBARDIA