The legend of the Trentino bear and Saint Romedius

The Sanctuary of San Romedio is always remembered for the story of the Brown bear who lives in the wildlife area adjacent to the sanctuary and for the legend of Saint Romedius.

The presence of the Trentino bear in this place of worship is linked to a legend which would have it that Romedius, now an elderly man, walked from his hermitage towards town, set on meeting the Bishop of Trento Vigilius. Along the way, his horse was supposedly mauled by a bear, but this did not put Romedius off, and instead he approached the animal and miraculously succeeded in taming it and riding it all the way to Trento. The bear therefore became his sole companion until he died.

In 1958, as he remembered this legend, Senator Count Gian Giacomo Gallarati Scotti, an honorary member of the WWF foundation in Italy, bought Charlie, a bear destined to die because it had been raised in a small cage on the outskirts of Rome, and he donated it to the Sanctuary of San Romedio.

Ever since, the wildlife area of the Sanctuary of San Romedio has always provided shelter for specimens of the Trentino bear and other animals destined for a sadder fate. Today, the Sanctuary of San Romedio has a special guest called "Bruno": a fantastic specimen of Carpathian Mountain bear, who has retired here since 2013. The animal has found a peaceful environment within the wildlife area of San Romedio Bruno, where he also gets all the necessary care.