Peschiera del Garda

Peschiera stands where the Mincio flows out of Lake Garda. Roman Ardelica was a trading place here, with an association of shipowners active on the lake. Later, Venice enclosed the town in massive fortifications, making the crossing and the lake outlet a stronghold in northern Italy's wars. In August 1796, after the battle of Castiglione, French forces under General Masséna drove the Austrians from Peschiera.