In the first half of the last century a wealthy merchant, a certain Bonomini, a rather bizarre type, lived in a villa on the Ronchi. He, in order to leave a memento of his existence, had a mausoleum built not far from his home bearing four funerary urns that were to hold his remains and those of three of his friends.
In a will made in 1837 he expressed this wish, leaving the Ospedale Maggiore of Brescia as heir of all his wealth. He imposed, however, the obligation to light four lamps on the monument every evening. By not doing so the inheritance would pass to the bishop.
Bonomini died in 1841 but neither his body nor those of his friends could be placed in the mausoleum because the Austrian government would not allow it.
Lamps for some time were regularly lit, then due to the lack of bodies, the custom slowly came to die and within a few years the candid Gothic mausoleum had no other purpose than to adorn and characterize the crag of the Brescian hills.
And it was in 1848 that this pitiful legend flourished around the mausoleum.
There lived nearby a young woman named Talita with an old mastiff dog named Tom.
She was the wife of a young patriot wanted by the Austrian police. One April evening she was deceitfully lured into the interior of the mausoleum by an Austrian officer who wanted to speculate on her husband's fate. The illicit proposals outraged Talita, who attempted to flee, but held fast by the officer, she uttered cries for help. Tom the faithful dog, childhood friend of the unfortunate maiden, ran furiously and with a leap grabbed the officer, strangling him. The latter slumped to the ground but had time to fire two gunshots. One bullet struck the poor dog full on, which died instantly, while the other bullet severely wounded Talita.
The young woman and the officer expired shortly after at a nearby house. where they were carried by people who rushed to the lightning tragedy. Rather than to the memory of the man who had it built, who had done nothing worthy in life, the popular imagination by calling that monument the "Tomba del Cane" wants to pay tribute to the 'heroic behavior of the old hound tom.
Legend has it that every year in April, when the Ronchi is filled with blossoming almonds, the melancholy howl of the dog is heard at night, and sad shadows are glimpsed by the great tomb. The shadow of a vague maiden dressed in white with her tom.
Architect: Rodolfo Vantini
Years: 1847 - 1860
Style: Neogotic
Material: Botticino Stone
Location: Via Panoramica, Brescia, Italy
DJI Mavic 3
2022
