The small town of Salò was, in the 14th century, the central administrative place for all the surrounding towns. It has a Roman past on one hand and a clear fascist memory on the other. In between, it’s worth visiting the local cathedral, Duomo di Santa Maria Annunziata, built in late Gothic style and preserved in its original 15th-century appearance. Slightly to the north is Palazzo Terzi-Martinengo, built in 1566 and located on the lake. It was the seat of Mussolini’s puppet government, known as the “Republic of Salò” (Repubblica di Salò), between 1943 and 1945 during World War II.