Constructed during the medieval era by the Della Scala family (known as the Scaligeri), the water fortress of Sirmione sits imposingly on the banks of Lake Garda in Northern Italy. By the fifteenth century however, the family had lost their claim to the Lordship of Verona and the castle passed into the hands of the Venetians. Nevertheless, during their time in power, this powerful clan oversaw the construction of other Saliger castles throughout the region. These included the fortresses at Malcesine and Castelvecchio.
References:
Vernon Hall, Life of Julius Caesar Scaliger (1484-1588), Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, 1950.