Lazise - History
Thanks to the discovery of pile-dwellings it can be confirmed that Lazise was already inhabited in prehistoric times and it was certainly an important centre during the Roman era as can be seen by the numerous coins that have been found in the Saline area. In the 10th century with the arrival of the Longobards and of Otto II it had many privileges, such as fishing rights and the chance to fortify the walls of the castle. In the 12th century Lazise became a free commune, until it fell under the control of the Scaligeri and then passed into the hands of the Visconti. In 1405, like other towns on Lake Garda, Lazise came under the Venetian Republic. In the early 1700s, during the Austrian war for succession, it was plundered by German and French troops. It became part of the Cisalpine Republic with the arrival of Napoleon and then later was made part of the Kingdom of Italy. In 1815 it fell, along with most of the territories of Lake Garda, under the rule of the Austrian troops and it was only after the third war of independence, in 1866, that it became part of the territory of the Kingdom of Italy.