The hermitage of Sant’Erculiano is located in a cave on the cliff of Mount Sperone, near the town of Ponale on Lake Garda. This place is only accessible by water and inside there was a fresco with three figures of saints, probably made between the late 1300s and early 1400s.
According to tradition, Sant’Erculiano, bishop of Brescia in the 6th century, retired to a solitary life on Lake Garda. The landing place of the boat that carried his remains would have been designated as a place of custody. The hermitage of Ponale could be associated with this ancient hermitage of Sant’Erculiano.
The Riccardo Pinter association in Riva has written to the Provinces of Brescia and Trento, the Garda Community, and the coastal municipalities to raise the issue and request the safeguarding and study of the site. Currently, the Garda cycle path could pose a threat to the hermitage, as it could result in the loss of the fresco and the degradation of the site.
Italian Version
