“Pasta King” Giovanni Rana and a noble family are fighting over a construction project in one of the most beautiful places in Italy: Punta San Vigilio on Lake Garda.
Lake Garda – Between Garda and Torri del Benaco it protrudes into Lake Garda and is considered one of the most beautiful spots there: the headland of Punta San Vigilio. It impresses tourists with its magnificent villas, idyllic nature and numerous bathing bays. But the time of peace there is over for now.
Dispute between the noble Guarienti family and “pasta king” Giovanni Rana on Lake Garda escalates
The reason: The heirs of the noble Guarienti family from Brezone and the founder of the famous pasta factory of the same name, Giovanni Rana, are competing for the land and the future of the peninsula. The noble siblings Guariente, Agostino and Emanuela share ownership of the land. “Tortellini King” Rana lived as a tenant in the main villa on the peninsula from 1994 to 2018. He fell in love with the area and bought all the properties from Emanuela Guarienti. This included agricultural land and outbuildings to the main building. The main villa had been assigned to Emanuela's brother Guariente.
Hotel and star restaurant on the peninsula? “I am ready to do everything to stop this massacre”
Most recently, Rana decided to convert his properties on San Vigilio into sources of income - according to a report by
Il Fatto Quotidiano,
a star restaurant and a hotel are to be built. However, this causes great resentment among the siblings of the noble family. Guariente released a video in which he clearly addressed the “Pasta King”.
The beauty of the island is being destroyed by “companies whose projects my municipality of Garda has incomprehensibly approved,” Guariente is quoted as saying by
Corriere del Veneto
. “I am ready to do anything to stop this massacre - I will even walk to Rome if it helps to stop this nonsense.”
Corriere del Veneto
reports that around twenty appeals have already been filed.
Mayor speaks up: “The construction sites are renovation work”
The mayor also got involved. “The owners of the area have not made any request to the municipality for new space,” explains Davide Bendinelli. “The ongoing construction sites are renovation works for the installation of underground services.” The mayor also responded to the accusation that olive trees had been uprooted by saying that they would only be temporarily moved and repositioned after the work was completed.
Big cranes, trucks, workers – the noble family is not very convinced by the mayor's statements. They doubt that the works will only be used for services. “Such exaggerated excavations cannot be explained,” states Agostino Guarenti.
Several rock falls have occurred on Lake Garda in recent months. After the rock falls, opponents demonstrate against plans for a cycle path. The million-dollar project is intended to make it possible to cycle around Lake Garda.
(mg)