I have to say that I’m a sucker for a bit of live entertainment but little did I know when I came to the wonderful resort of Garda this year, that I would have the chance to see a concert in a castle each and every week!
The Malcesine Concert has been running for years and is hosted by the world Famous Ida Maria Turri. Ida Maria was born in Carlisle to Italian parents and has been entertaining from the day she was born, or at least the story goes. She studied hard in Manchester becoming classically and operatically trained and then she became world famous during her performance at Wembley when she sang the National Anthem for Italy back in 2001.
Since then, she has met her husband Stefano Romani and they have settled in Malcesine here on Lake Garda. Needless to say, we are so very privileged to have them here!
Every week the pair put on a show at Malcesine’s Castle, now not only is this castle famous in its own right – back in 1922 it was actually nominated as a National Monument symbolic of Italy in its entirety – but it also has some fantastic stories surrounding it. Stories such as the one in which Johann Wolfgang Goethe is thought to have exchanged places with an Austrian spy and risked jail simply to explore the grounds!
On top of this, the castle is the most visited in Northern Italy and, marrying over 400 Brits here every year, sometimes up to 4 couples a day, it has claimed the title of Italys second favourite wedding venue. All of the weddings are all finished by night fall and that’s when other events begin here. Lo and behold, every Thursday we are blessed by the voice of Ida Maria backed by the wonderful Stefano Romani on piano and staring special guests.
For those who love entertainment, beautiful historical locations and enjoy the opera, what more could you possibly ask for? This is a truly amazing evening and a must whilst here on the lake.
We offer the trip as an excursion available to all guests in Limone, Riva, Malcesine, Torri Del Benaco, Garda and Bardolino. And at just 29€ including transfers, you’d be mad not to book yourselves on!
Blog by Adrian Holloway-Wells, Inghams resort representative in Garda.