The legend of the dragon of Sas Vanna

In ancient history Sas Vanna was the sacred mountain of the Fanes people.

The legend tells of a terrible dragon that lived in a dark cavern at the bottom of Sas Vanna (nowadays Santa Croce, in Ladino “Sas dla Crusc”).
His body was snakelike, it had long legs with sharp claws and two wide, strong wings. His mouth, with long, sharp fangs, was so huge that it could fit a whole person. If a shepherd happened to approach him, the dragon would devour him skin and bones. So terrified were the people by the death and destruction caused by the dragon that the shepherds no longer dared bring their sheep out to graze and the population gradually began to abandon the countryside, moving down into the valley. Here misery and hunger awaited them. But the monster even came into the village and he attacked the stables devouring sheep and other animals.

At that time the Gran Bracun lived in Brach castle in Marebbe. He was a courageous warrior who had acquired great reputation on the battlefield. He had such sharp sight and such a steady hand that from the slits in the castle wall he was capable of hitting a deer wandering through the Plaies forests.

The Gran Bracun decided that he would free the valley from the nightmare of the dragon. One day he mounted his horse and ventured into the forests, where many others before him had met their death. Very soon he reached the cave where the dragon lived. Not long afterwards the monster came out and turned on him with eyes of fire and a smoking mouth. The valiant warrior fired a shot that pierced the heart of the dragon who fell to the ground and dropped dead into a deep ravine.

The Gran Bracun returned home and it was only many years later that a shepherd found the skeleton of the dragon. In this place, until not so long ago, you could see a sign which was erected by the population in memory of the heroic undertaking of the Gran Bracun.

And today we honour that legend in the name of our Residence and the dragon wood carving outside our door.