The Sanctuary of San Romedio
A sanctuary built on the rock with the bear
In the Val di Non, near the village of Sanzeno, at the end of a narrow gorge carved by a stream, the Sanctuary of San Romedio is one of the most evocative places of pilgrimage in the Alps. It stands on top of a rock spur about 70 metres high, and consists of five small churches and chapels, built one on top of the other between the eleventh and twentieth centuries, connected by a long, steep staircase of over 130 steps, whose walls are covered with votive offerings and paintings of thanks left by pilgrims over the centuries. At the top, the oldest chapel preserves the relics of Saint Romedius.
According to tradition, Romedius was a noble of the fourth century, who gave all his possessions to the Church and retired to live as a hermit on this rock with two companions. The most famous legend tells that, wanting to visit the bishop of Trento, Saint Vigilius, the elderly hermit asked a disciple to saddle his horse, but the horse had been devoured by a bear; Romedius then ordered the bear to take the horse's place, and the animal, tamed, carried him on its back to Trento. For this reason, the saint is always depicted with a bear, and since 1958 an enclosure next to the sanctuary has hosted bears, today rescued animals that cannot live in the wild, in a large wooded area. From Sanzeno, an easy path, the "Sentiero di San Romedio", leads to the sanctuary in about an hour, along the gorge.
Tip: walk the path from Sanzeno, partly carved into the rock of the gorge; the sanctuary is open every day.
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