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Sirmione
Sirmione has been a privileged vacation getaway for thousands of years. Indeed,
it is in a marvelous location, on a peninsula on Lake Garda, the largest lake
in Italy. Today it houses numerous pieces of evidence attesting to its long,
uninterrupted history as a favorite location for the upper class and then the
general tourist population.
The oldest evidence of human presence on Sirmione dates to around the second
half of the 6th millennium BC and continues through the Bronze Age and Roman
times.
Starting in the first century BC, Sirmione became the vacation spot for the
rich, including the family of the Latin poet Catullus. It is from this time
period, that one of the most famous archeological sites on the peninsula belongs.
This site is known as Le Grotte di Catullo, or the Grottoes of Catullus; the
"grottoes" are the remains of a large, ancient villa that once belonged to Catullus.
There are numerous other monuments to visit in Sirmione, such as the Scaligero
Castle, which attract scores of tourists each year.
Tourists also enjoy the characteristic look of the small town, as well as the
thermal establishments that have popped up in recent years.
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