Bondone rises on a fortress at 720mt of height in the most southern part of the Valle del Chiese, on the border with Lombardy and consists of two hamlets: Bondone and Baitoni, just 6km away.
Its name derives from the dialectal term "Bondù" and indicates a place to take refuge at night to escape from dangers. Bondone was born in a place considered in the past very strategic because it allowed to exercise a certain control not only over Lake Idro but also over the Valle del Chiesa and the Brenta Dolomites.
The history of the village is important because it is still steeped in it today. The first news of the town dates back to 1301 on the occasion of a challenge with Storo regarding the possession of Monte dell'Alpo. Bondone has always been a village of charcoal burners, indefatigable workers who left the town for eight months in order to reach the woods: here they settled in poor shacks and produced coal through wood.
Bondone remained essentially empty for most of the year, silent and almost sinister. The plague that hit him in 1855 decimated the population and the few survivors asked to the Virgin to chase it away and in exchange they would pay homage to her dedicating her a feast day: September 8th. On that day, in fact, it is possible to assist to a suggestive procession through the streets of the village, with the statue of the Madonna carried on the shoulders up to the small church of Plos.
The figure of the charcoal burner gradually lost importance but you can admire it in Piazza Levata, where there are three bronze sculptures, one of which represents a charcoal burner exhausted by fatigue. The other two have the features of a man next to a pile of wood and a little girl flanked by a goat.
What to see in Bondone
The center of Bondone is a small ancient jewel, steep steps, shady arches and narrow paved alleys overlooked by houses almost leaning against each other, as if to give strength and warmth in a past of problems and fatigue. The note of color is given by the facades of many houses, real specificity of the place being frescoed with soft but elegant colors with mainly religious themes to demonstrate the deep faith of its ancient inhabitants: in Via Giusti 24 there is a building with the sixteenth-century image of the Virgin on the throne nursing her son Jesus Child; in Via Baroni 13 instead you can admire a house of 1672 with a slightly more satirical fresco depicting the Coronation of the Virgin and a sovereign who tries to save his life by offering money.
The Church of the Nativity of Mary, overlooking the Valley of the Church, is the religious heart of Bondone and inside you can admire in particular an altarpiece depicting St. Anthony receiving the Child Jesus from the hands of the Virgin and a beautiful presbytery covered in walnut wood that embraces the altar right in the center of the apse.
If you are undecided about the right time to visit Bondone, then opt for the month of August. In the second weekend the village hosts the Bondone in Strada event with dozens and dozens of street artists who will crowd small squares and alleys, to the delight of young and old alike. You will be fascinated by the fakirs who swallow swords as long as 50cm, by noisy traveling orchestras, puppeteers, fire eaters, minstrels and storytellers: you will feel like you have gone back in time when these figures cheered the medieval banquets.
On the road between Bondone and Baitoni, perched on a rocky spur, stands the Castle of San Giovanni, the ancient residence of the Londron counts who controlled the territory from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century: more than a noble palace it seems to be a military fortress, apparently built on the remains of a Roman settlement. Crossing the drawbridge you can visit in particular the small botanical garden full of medicinal herbs planted by the students of the school "Don Lorenzo Milani": certainly the strong point of this building is the panoramic position that will give you a spectacular view over the whole Lake Idro.
Finally, if you wish to visit this stretch of glacial water, located between the provinces of Trento and Brescia, you could walk along the Ferrata Sasse: it is one of the most spectacular routes in Trentino and connects the small beach of Vesta to the pier of Baiton. The most beautiful part of this route, which winds along the lake's surface, is the crossing of the Forra del Torrente Neco, to be done by means of small bridges, metal ladders and safety ropes.
At the end of this excursion you can take a refreshing swim in the waters of Lake Idro or practice a water sport such as sailing or canoeing, admiring the green landscapes that are reflected in the waters of the lake.