Visiting the Vittoriale is like stepping into Gabriele D’Annunzio’s mind, a man moved by great passions and boundless ambitions.

His house, La Prioria, bears mute witness to the narcissism of a man determined to mould his own life into an artistic masterpiece.

The exquisite stained glass windows, the fireplaces and architraves inscribed with mottos and aphorisms, about ten thousand objects and over thirty thousand books are all D’Annunzio’s testament.

The complex is now home to two museums: the first founded by D’Annunzio himself to commemorate Italy’s deeds in the Great War, today it is named after D’Annunzio the Hero and is a collection of objects related to his military career; the other, The Secret D’Annunzio, is a collection of the poet’s everyday objects.

In the Vittoriale’s park visitors can admire Mas 96, the anti-submarine boat aboard which D’Annunzio participated in the famous Bakar raid. Since 2010 the Tener-a-mente festival has been held in the Vittoriale’s amphitheatre, giving prestigious international singers and entertainers a unique stage against the backdrop of Lake Garda.

Open: all year
Opening times: variable
Admission: park, charge. House: only paid guided tours