Manerba Cross

An ancient cliff, an invincible wolf, three heroes … and a cross that changed destiny.

Once upon a time, on the dizzying cliff of Manerba, there was a hidden cavern overlooking the lake. But no-one dared approach as a fierce, powerful and ruthless wolf made his lair here, terrorising anyone who dared to challenge him. Hunters, travellers and the daring … all failed. No-one could drive him away.
Desperate, the lords of the Garda communities decided to put a bounty on the head of the beast. Young men arrived from far and wide, yet only three were chosen: one from Moniga, one from Raffa and one from Pieve Vecchia.

They set off in silence, each determined to tame the wolf with his own strategy.
The first tried to lure the beast with live bait but the wolf realised and tossed his wannabe-captor off the cliff. The second prepared a gigantic net but met the same tragic end.

Only the young man from Pieve Vecchia had the right idea. Hidden in the bushes, he imitated the howl of the wolf. Deceived, the beast came out of his den. Right at that moment, the young man leapt out and raised a giant cross high up in the air, uttering words of faith and courage. The wolf, frightened by the symbol, retreated until he too fell off the cliff.

Since then, it is said that on the lake off Manerba, you can still see two rocks: one for each of the young men who fell. The third young man, rather, was welcomed as a hero and celebrated by the people. Soon after, a cross was planted on the cliff to guard the den, in memory of the event and the strength of faith.