Castellaro Lagudello is one of the most beautiful hamlets in Italy. Located in the Municipality of Monzambano, in the Lombard Province of Mantua, this fortified village, where you breathe Virgilian atmospheres, owes its name to the nearby heart-shaped lake and its castle. It is located on a hillock and surrounded by the morainic Garda hillside. Castellaro Castle dates back to 100’s-1200’s and was probably commissioned by the Scala Family even though because of its strategical position it was the object of the never ending controversies between Verona and Mantua and in the course of time it became a possession of the Viscontis, of the Gonzagas or of the Republic of Venice. Built on a natural hillock, North of the lake, this castle is defended by massive crenellated walls and by ten towers. It was originally divided into two wings: the lake wing managed by the castle keeper and the Northern wing controlled by a Captain who was in charge of the defence of the drawbridge and the inner fortified hamlet. The present walls belonged to the original castle together with four towers and some stretches of the Northern walkway and also two rustic houses. In 1600 the castle lost its defensive function and was sold by the Republic of Venice to the Counts Arrighi, who had one part turned into a luxurious and comfortable mansion.