three corner towers) in pebbles alternating with two horizontal bands of brick courses. The walls on the inside were finished with plaster with graffiti, simulating blocks of stone. The castle stands at a strategic place at the entrance to the peninsula. It is surrounded by a moat and it can only be entered by two drawbridges. The castle was established mainly as a protection against enemies, but also against the locals. The main room houses a small museum with local finds from the Roman era and a few medieval artifacts. The small church Sant’Anna della Rocca, next to the castle. It dates from the 12th century and was used mainly by the garrison and the few local villagers. The frescoes in the church date from the 14th–17th century. The church of San Pietro in Mavino, built in Lombard times (A.D. 765) but renovated in the early 14th century. At the portal one can see a brick wall with the date 1320. It is secluded from the town and is situated on the hill. The term "mavino" refers to the Latin phrase "in summas vineas" (up in the vineyards). The church has a rectangular plan and is oriented east–west. The chancel contains three apses. The one in the middle shows a Christ Pantocrator in Byzantine tradition; the one on the left a Madonna Enthroned; the one on the right a Crucifixion. The ceiling is made of wooden beams. The church contains frescoes from the 12th–16th centuries. The Romanesque bell tower dates from 1070. The church has been used in the past as a military hospital and its surroundings as a cemetery for plague victims. The church Santa Maria Maggiore (late 15th century) is located in the town centre. It stands on the site of the former Lombard church of San Martino (second half of the 8th century). It has a rectangular shape with a polygonal apse and is oriented east–west. It has a single nave, divided by three arches. It is decorated with early 15th-century frescoes. The frescoes at the bottom of the north wall even belong to an earlier period. The contemporary wooden statue of the Madonna Enthroned is also of special interest. World heritage site The prehistoric settlement at Lugana Vecchia is part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Municipal government Sirmione is headed by a mayor () assisted by a legislative