The Medieval churches of Lake Garda, which are often masterpieces of rural Romanesque style influenced by the architecture from the Como, Veneto and Po Valley areas, are the signs that remain of the ecclesiastic organization of the rural areas, which took place between the Longobard Era and the 13th century. These churches, which were responsible for the spiritual life of their parishioners from cradle to grave, were a point of reference for the local communities, and not only from a religious perspective. The network of parish churches was divided into community districts: after the year 1000, it had expanded to include the most remote and sparsely populated areas of Garda, the small mountain communities of the Monte Baldo area and the Tremosine plateau, and the groups of families who moved to the newly deforested or reclaimed areas. Parishes were run by an archpriest and a congregation of priests and deacons who, starting with the 11th century ecclesiastic reform, were obliged to live in communities and, in the larger parishes, organized religious seminaries called scholae sacerdotum. Parish churches received, by right, 10% of everything produced in the community, but the poverty of the rural areas and inadequate harvest meant that the clergy often had to resort to farming in order to survive. As a result, several religious complexes were built like farmsteads, with barns, warehouses and farming equipment storehouses, which could also be used by the community. The clergy's close relationship with the local farmers, fishermen and merchants led to the construction of these Romanesque churches. Created to satisfy local needs, built with great investments in terms of time and money, and adorned with splendid frescoes and decorations that expressed their devotion, these churches are still the best example of the medieval period of Lake Garda, a great body of water connected by way of the Mincio and Po rivers to the Adriatic Sea, but also surrounded by mountains, farmland and the moreinic hills to the south that separated the area from the cities. An anomaly in the Po Valley, whose cities began to grow quickly in this period, the area was composed of just a few larger cities and several tiny hamlets scattered here and there in the countryside. The area and its network of parish churches remained independent until it was conquered by the lords of Verona and Brescia and by the prince-bishop of Trent, and this organization is still visible today in the many hamlets and towns lining the lake and in the inland area, which are now favorite tourist destinations. Thus, the Romanesque parish churches in the area are the most precious vestiges of those days.