What is the largest lake in Italy?

The largest lake in Italy is Lake Garda.

Lake Garda, also called Lago di Garda or historically Benaco, covers about 370 square kilometres in northern Italy. Its shoreline is divided among the Italian provinces of Brescia, Verona, and Trentino, placing the lake between the southern Alps and the Po Valley.

Garda’s landscape reflects the work of Ice Age glaciers, which carved and deepened an existing valley. The lake is about 52 kilometres long, reaches approximately 346 metres at its deepest point, and contains five principal islands, including Isola del Garda. The Sarca River is its main tributary, while the Mincio River carries water away at the southern end.

Its size is only part of the attraction. Mountain scenery, olive groves, citrus gardens, historic towns, and ferry routes make Garda one of Italy’s most popular destinations. Visitors sometimes confuse it with Lake Como or Lake Maggiore, both internationally famous and scenic, but neither has as large a surface area. Garda is also notable for its broad southern basin and narrower, fjord-like northern section.