Sirmione hosts its Photo Marathon on 11 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 02:47 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Sirmione hosts the Sirmione Photo Marathon on 11 October 2026, bringing a photography event to Piazza Carducci in the historic lakeside town. The official programme also links the event with the Lake Garda Photo Challenge, which remains open until 31 October 2026.
Sirmione Photo Marathon sets its October date
The Photo Marathon is listed by Visit Sirmione programme as a Sunday event beginning at Piazza Carducci. Its stated purpose is to tell the story of Sirmione and Lake Garda through participants' photographs, placing the town itself at the centre of the activity.
The accompanying Lake Garda Photo Challenge extends the photographic brief beyond one day. The official tourism portal says that the challenge runs until 31 October 2026, giving visitors a separate way to engage with the landscape after the Photo Marathon has taken place. Both activities are connected with the Sirmione Award for Photography.
Photography meets the Grottoes of Catullus landscape
The peninsula offers more than a historic centre and lake views. At its northern tip, the Grottoes of Catullus preserve the remains of a large Roman villa dating from the Augustan Age, between the late first century BC and early first century AD.
The state museum service describes a rectangular complex covering around two hectares, with foundations, terraces and surviving elements including the Great Cryptoporticus, the Giants' Hall and a large cistern. The archaeological area also contains an olive grove and the Archaeological Museum, which opened to the public in 1999. That combination of ruins, terraces, water and vegetation gives the October photography programme a direct connection with the physical layers of the peninsula, rather than treating the event as a separate attraction. The museum service history records the site details.
From Roman villa to modern photographic subject
The name Grottoes of Catullus comes from fifteenth-century accounts that described the overgrown ruins as grottoes. Earlier tradition associated the villa with the poet Catullus, but the museum service notes that the building was constructed after his death. The site therefore combines a documented Roman history with later stories that helped shape how Sirmione is seen and photographed.
Visitors can also find the remains of the ancient garden and views towards Lake Garda from the archaeological area. The landscape is not flat throughout: the villa was built on steep rocky ground, and its surviving structures occupy different levels. These features matter for anyone planning to photograph the peninsula, because the Photo Marathon takes place in a setting where architecture, vegetation and water are closely connected.
Visiting Sirmione: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Sirmione Photo Marathon takes place on 11 October 2026 at Piazza Carducci in Sirmione.
- The related Lake Garda Photo Challenge runs until 31 October 2026, while the official programme presents both activities as photography opportunities centred on Sirmione and the lake.
- Sirmione stands on a peninsula extending into Lake Garda in northern Italy. The town includes a historic centre, the Scaligero Castle and the Grottoes of Catullus archaeological area.
- The Grottoes of Catullus site has steep sections and surviving structures on different levels. The state museum service also identifies foundations, terraces, an olive grove and ancient architectural remains within the area.
- Italian is the official language and the national currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Sirmione
When does the Sirmione Photo Marathon take place?
The Sirmione Photo Marathon takes place on 11 October 2026 at Piazza Carducci.
What is the Lake Garda Photo Challenge?
It is the related photography activity listed by the official programme, running until 31 October 2026.
Where is Sirmione and what is there to see?
Sirmione is a peninsula town on Lake Garda in northern Italy. Its archaeological attractions include the Grottoes of Catullus and the Archaeological Museum.
