People looking for refuge or respite from the trials of the world have been drawn to the shores of Lake Garda for more than two millennia, writes Anthony WeaverGarda, the largest lake in Italy, with its mild climate and spectacular views, has been attracting visitors at least since the time of the Roman poet Catullus, who in the first century BC dedicated verses to the town of Sirmione, where we can visit the remains of his villa, known as the “Grotte di Catullo”. Later writers such as Goethe, Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka, André Gide and Gabriele D’Annunzio were all as enthusiastic as Catullus, and Garda became an essential part of the Grand Tour.The lake, and its shoreline, are divided between the provinces of Verona to the south-east, Brescia in the south-west and T