In the 10th century , at the time of the Hungarian invasion, farmers and fishermen took refuge there. There they built a sort of fortress, which was destroyed by the troops of Frederick Barbarossa in 1158 and was then rebuilt by the Della Scala family .
A strategic military base by the end of the 19th century , more than 100,000 bombs were built there.
During the First World War , the island was used as an outpost by the Kingdom of Italy against the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Evacuated in 1930, it was used again during the Second World War . Benito Mussolini went there in March 1945 and had a violent argument with the journalist and painter Ivanoe Fossani .
Dismantled after the war, on 5 October 1954 the inhabitants of Brenzone were startled awake by a violent explosion shortly before midnight: several tons of explosive material were stolen and piled up by the company's workers. During the three days of explosions, the explosives stored on the island were thrown into the lake. Since then, it was planned to evacuate the mines, but due to lack of money, the operation never took place and regular detonations of mines, triggered by themselves, can be heard. It is therefore strictly forbidden to approach the island.
Finally, in early 2005, the evacuation was started thanks to the finances of the province of Verona , banks and the city of Brenzone . Up to May 2006, 26,000 bombs were collected. Recovery proved difficult because many of the explosives were very corroded.
The military buildings are still visible. They include the old barracks, the fort and the port. The structure is completely dismantled. A museum project has since been discussed. The island is currently accessible to the public, thanks to the reclamation work carried out by the Italian army's bomb disposal experts.

свернуть