Ezra Pound, who loved Sirmione, came here in 1920.
D’Annunzio would arrive with his chauffeur from the Vittoriale for a coffee at sunset. Carducci would pass by when working as an examiner at the high school in Desenzano, where he was feared by the teachers, almost all of whom were priests. Toscanini relaxed at its tables in his final years. Maria Callas spent quiet evenings here with her husband Meneghini.
Naomi Jacob became great friends with the owners, mentioning them in her autobiography. Six generations of the same family at the Grande Italia have lovingly preserved illustrious memories since the late nineteenth century.