At the Lourdes Grotto
Hiking trail • Val di Fassa
At the Lourdes Grotto
A diversion from the promenade leading from the center of Vigo to the Church of Santa Giuliana ascends to a treasured place of worship, enveloped in the silence of memory and tranquility.
"O Mary, bless our Valley". This is the prayer inscribed at the entrance to the Lourdes Grotto, a cleft in the rock surrounded by the splendor of the Catinaccio massif. The initial ascent is brief, but the path soon becomes more challenging. The grotto was constructed in 1888 in gratitude for an unspecified grace, now forgotten, yet the memory of those who frescoed the words on the altar within remains vivid: "This is the Mother; look at her, weep, pray - she denies no grace to her faithful". Walking this path and touching the grotto is not merely an act of devotion; it is a journey into the essence of the mountain people-their need for protection and divine grace to overcome or endure the calamities of nature and the devastations of human conflict. In Val di Fassa, places of worship intertwine seamlessly with historical sites, preserving their stories of resilience despite the passage of time and depopulation.
