I remember back when I was in school, working on a project called “Beyond the secrets of your home town”.
In that occasion I came accross one of the beautiful legends that surrounds this little town, which is probably my favourite.
It’s the story of a brave woman, called Manto who is the founder of this city according to legend.
The myth is part of Graeco-Roman mythology. It begins with the story of the prophetess Manto, daughter of the Theban seer Tiresias.
After her father Tiresias died, Manto escaped from Thebes and after many wanderings, and adventures through dangerous lands, reached a quite and peaceful swamp ( today’s home-town).
In this place she created a lake with her tears; and according to legend these waters had the magical property of conferring prophetic powers to anyone who drank of them.
Once she got settled in these at first sight really uncofotable swamp, Manto met and married the river god Tybris (Tiber), king of the Tuscans, and they had a son called Ocno.
And when Manto died her son Ocno eventually founded a city on the shores of the Mincio river, naming it Mantova in honor of his mother.
Of course there are many versions of this particular leading charachter, and other stories sometimes scaryer or more realistic anyway this version of the myth is reported in Virgil’s Aeneid, and it’s my fave !
So what do you think? Have you heard of this story ?
