Lake Garda has long been legendary as the largest lake in Italy, towered over by picturesque mountains and dotted with charming villages and historic villas. A lush cypress-lined hillside unfurling into the southeastern shores of the lake, the petite yet prestigious peninsula of Punta San Vigilio is one of the most idyllic destinations on Lake Garda.

The promontory was named for St. Vigilius, a fourth-century Italian bishop and patron saint of Trent. In the 16th century, a Venetian lawyer, Agostino Brenzoni, commissioned a grand lakeside villa amidst the olive and lemon groves, later declaring it the "most beautiful place in the whole world" (via Locanda San Viglio).