The Miracle of the Motionless Boat: When Cassone Tried to Rob Desenzano
It was a cold, foggy night on January 22nd, in the early 1600s. A group of fishermen from Cassone, a small village on the Veronese shore of Lake Garda, silently rowed across the dark waters towards Desenzano. They were not there to fish, nor to trade. They were on a divine mission that would turn into one of the most famous legends of the lake: they were there to steal the town’s patron saints.
In those times, possessing the relics of saints was considered a guarantee of prosperity and protection for a village. Driven by a mix of devotion and local pride, the men of Cassone had decided that the holy remains of Saints Vincenzo, Benigno, and Anastasio belonged on their side of the lake. What followed was a heist that ended not in glory, but in a divine prank.
- Period: Early 17th Century (Jan 22nd)
- Location: Desenzano del Garda (Old Port)
- Protagonists: The “Saint Stealers” from Cassone
- Key Objects: Relics of Sts. Vincenzo, Benigno, and Anastasio
- Tradition: Commemorated until post-WWII
The Great Relic Heist
The theft of sacred relics was surprisingly common in the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Just as sailors from Bari had stolen St. Nicholas and Venetians had taken St. Mark, the fishermen of Cassone believed they were rightfully claiming a spiritual treasure to change their village’s fortunes.
Under the cover of a thick winter fog, the “brigands” infiltrated the rich town of Desenzano. They successfully located the precious relics, stuffed them into a sack, and rushed back to their boat without waking a soul. Their plan was simple: row with all their might back to the northern part of the lake before dawn broke.
The Endless Night
Once on board, the men grabbed their oars and began to row furiously. They were skilled navigators, accustomed to the lake’s moods. The fog was so dense they couldn’t see the shore, but they felt the water rushing beneath them. They rowed for hours, sweating in the freezing night, convinced that every stroke was bringing them closer to Cassone and to the glory that awaited them.
They imagined their triumphant arrival, the honors they would receive, and the new era of prosperity for their village.
The Morning Surprise
As the sun began to rise, the thick fog finally lifted. The people of Desenzano, waking up for the early mass, noticed something strange at the port.
There was a boat, packed with exhausted men rowing frantically. But there was a problem: the boat was completely stationary. Despite hours of intense physical effort, the vessel hadn’t moved an inch from the dock. A divine force—or perhaps the saints themselves refusing to leave—had kept the boat glued to the water.
The locals of Desenzano quickly realized what had happened. They rushed to the port, discovered the sack with the stolen relics, and the “miracle” turned into a brawl. The would-be thieves from Cassone received a sound beating instead of the glory they had dreamed of.
A Lost Tradition
For centuries, the people of Desenzano celebrated this victory. Every year on the anniversary of the event, a procession was held, and a boat was placed in the Old Port with figures rowing without moving, commemorating the miracle that kept their patron saints home. This tradition continued until the years following World War II, a reminder of the night the saints refused to leave Desenzano.
