San Biagio island ( ), also known as ''Isola dei Conigli'' (Hare or rabbit island), is an island in the north Italian

Lake Garda Lake Garda (, , or , ; ; ) is the largest lake in Italy. It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, between Brescia and Milan to the west, and Verona and Venice to the east. The lake cuts into the edge of the Eastern Alps, Italian Alp ...

Geography

San Biagio island is the second largest of the lake's five islands and lies about 200 meters off the western shore in the Bay of Manerba and San Felice in the

province of Brescia The province of Brescia (; Brescian: ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. It has a population of some 1,265,964 (as of January 2019) and its capital is the city of Brescia.With an area of 4,785 km2, it is the ...

. It is an extension of the Punta Belvedere peninsula. When the water level is low, it can be reached on foot along a thin strip of land. The island has an area of about one hectare, is flat and covered with vegetation. It has a small, rocky bump in the middle.

Names

The island's official namesake is Saint Blaise of Sebaste. The more popularly used name "Isola dei Conigli" comes from the

hares Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The genu ...

and

rabbits Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form ...

that used to be common on the island. In addition to the nickname "Rabbit Island" , the Isola di San Biagio is also known as the "Musician Island". Open-air classical and jazz concerts are often held here in summer.

History

As far as is known, the island was never permanently inhabited. In the Middle Ages however,

hermits A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

are said to have lived on the island at times. According to various sources, mainlanders abandoned their animals, especially rabbits, because they could not leave the island. For this reason, the island is said to have been the hunting ground of wealthy villa owners in the area from the 7th century. Silvan Cattaneo, a 16th-century orator, poet and philosopher, called it "inhabited by hares and rabbits and therefore a popular hunting ground". Before the island developed into a popular tourist destination, it was used by nearby gun manufacturer

Beretta Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta (; "Pietro Beretta Weapons Factory") is a privately held Italian firearms manufacturing company operating in several countries. Its firearms are used worldwide for various civilian, law enforcement, and military p ...

to test guns and ammunition in the 1950s. In the Archaeological Museum of

Rocca di Manerba del Garda The Rocca di Manerba del Garda (fortress of Manerba del Garda) is a rocky promontory, that extends along the southwestern coast of Lake Garda, in Lombardy, Italy. The site, named after its medieval fortification period, is archaeologically sign ...

, tombstones from Roman times found on Isola San Biagio can be seen. Since 2016, the Isola di San Biagio has been part of the nature and water protection area Riserva naturale della Rocca, del Sasso e Parco Lacuale.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Isola di San Biagio

Promotional site of the camp site 'Camping San Biagio', with professional 360° Panorama photos of the island. Accessed 26 February 2023. Islands of Italy