A ride through history | Valeggio sul Mincio: nature, battles & great flavors

Welcome back, dear readers and welcome to… Valeggio sul Mincio!

So, we left our familiar Villafranca and we moved to 10 km south of Lake Garda, to get to know a very special and loved places here in our area. The reason why? Or better… the reasons are 3! Its great nature, its Battles and… its Tortellini!

Valeggio is located on the Peschiera – Mantova and its cycle path its surrounded by lovely windmills built along the Mincio River… Can you imagine a better ride that in this calm and beautiful panorama? That’s why this is one of our fav itineraries!

But what do you know about Valeggio?

It was built together with Borghetto sul Mincio and it’s a middle way between the land and the Mincio river, a natural barrier for Veneto and Lombardy. Its ancient history goes back to the Bronze Age, to the Romans and the Gauls. Valeggio lived the Napoleon’s era and the 3 Italian Independence Wars, the Battles of Custoza (1848 and 1866) as well as the Battles of Solferino and San Martino (1859).

Its beating heart is the Castello Scaligero, located on the hill that dominates Valeggio and its valley, offering a great view on a Middle Ages building that form the most important fortified system of the time.

The Castello Scaligero of Valeggio – PH Credit: Francesco Trentini

After the earthquake of 1117, only the Torre Tonda survived and almost the entire castle was destroyed. There’s still actually another part that it’s still visitable, called “Rocca”. Currently in the internal area there’s a private villa, built at the beginning of the XX century.

Valeggio is definitely one of our favorite stops not only for his beauty or history… but mostly because of its awesome Tortellini! Did you know that every year, on the Ponte Visconteo, people celebrate the “Festa del Nodo d’Amore” to taste the XIV century traditional recipe?
Have you ever tried it? 😉

Well, with Bike Experience you won’t miss the opportunity to taste this delicious dish at the Giardini di Borghetto!

Have a look at our wide range of excursions on Valeggio and come with us to discover this little oasis of history and.. taste!

See you there 😉

Sources: www.terredelcustoza.com, www.comune.valeggiosulmincio.vr.it, www.valeggio.com