body, the , and an executive body, the . Since 1995, the mayor and members of the are directly elected together by resident citizens, while from 1945 to 1995 the mayor was chosen by the legislative body. The is chaired by the mayor, who appoints others members, called . The offices of the are housed in a building usually called the or . Since 1995, the mayor of Sirmione is directly elected by citizens, originally every four, then every five years. The current mayor is Luisa Lavelli (FI), who in May 2018 as deputy mayor replaced the former mayor Alessandro Mattinzoli, elected regional councillor. Lavelli was finally elected mayor on 26 May 2019 with the 50.1% of the votes. Notable people The poet Gaius Valerius Catullus lived in the 1st century BC. His family owned a villa in Sirmione. Alfred Tennyson described his impressions of Sirmione in the summer of 1880 in his poem Frater Ave atque Vale. Italian writers who wrote about Sirmione include Giosuè Carducci, Antonio Fogazzaro and Gabriele D'Annunzio. Ezra Pound and James Joyce met in the city in 1920. Maria Callas had a villa in Sirmione. English writer Naomi Jacob lived in Sirmione until her death in 1964. A small plaque in Sirmione commemorates her. Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro lived in Sirmione, when her family moved in the 1940s, where her father, Guido was in charge of the hot spring aqueducts. She died on 23 January 1964; a small plaque is placed in the town to commemorate her presence, especially that she is now closer to becoming a Saint of the Catholic Church. Gallery Notes References External links Sirmione Tourist Guide Sirmione the Lake Garda Pearl - Sirmione tourist information Sirmione Wedding - Guide on wedding planning in Sirmione Populated places on Lake Garda Cities and towns in Lombardy Castles in Italy Spa towns in Italy