Exploring the Sanctuary of San Romedio: A Journey into Nature and Legend

Hi dear friends,

It's been a while since we last spoke, but unfortunately, due to my bad luck, I’ve had several negative things happen, especially during my vacation. I was even unwell for a period due to a food intolerance, but what mostly prevented me from writing posts was that my computer broke down. Fortunately, I was able to find a used replacement fairly quickly.

The truth is, I have so much to share, including photos. I hope to find the time to do this in the coming days, especially since I’ve started working again and, unfortunately, I've already used up part of my vacation time.

Today, in particular, I’d like to share with you an experience I was lucky enough to have this summer: visiting the Sanctuary of San Romedio. It’s a place I had visited several years ago, but it’s always nice to return to this unique place that harmonizes with nature.

This sanctuary is located in Trentino-Alto Adige. Some of you might have heard of it before. To reach it, there is a beautiful, easy-to-walk trail. What’s fascinating is that the sanctuary is built on a rock that rises over 70 meters high, and to reach the sanctuary, you need to climb about 130 steps. As you can see from the initial photos, it’s a popular spot not only for pilgrims but also for tourists from all over the world.

As the name suggests, the sanctuary is dedicated to Saint Romedio, an hermit who lived around the 5th century in this area. The structure you see in the photos took about a thousand years to build and was completed around 1918. If you were attentive, you might have noticed that many photos feature a bear. This is due to a famous legend about this saint. Romedio was supposed to meet with the Bishop of Trento, but during his journey, he was attacked by a bear, which he managed to tame. He even had the bear carry him to Trento.

Nowadays, this place has become a pilgrimage site where people come to ask for help and thank the saint for protection. Inside the sanctuary, you can find various thank-you notes from people who have received assistance.
In reality, near the sanctuary, there is supposed to be a bear living in a large enclosure, though I didn’t see it. I was told it might not be well, so it was taken somewhere for treatment.

Overall, I must say that this is a place worth visiting. If you follow me in the coming days, I’ll also show you what I saw near the sanctuary, as there are many natural spots worth exploring.

As always, thank you for reading the post. I hope you enjoyed the photos, and see you next time!