Discover what to do in Pove del Grappa: The church of San Vigilio, the CAI 950 trail, the shrine of the Madonna del Cornon. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Pove del Grappa?
The municipality of Pove del Grappa borders to the north with Cismon del Grappa (Frazione di Valbrenta), to the south and southwest with Bassano del Grappa, to the southeast with San Zenone degli Ezzelini, to the east with Borso del Grappa and Romano d’Ezzelino, to the west with Solagna and Bassano del Grappa.
The church of San Vigilio
The church of San Vigilio is nestled in the heart of the town, enclosed to the west by the clear waters of the Brenta with its rocky bed and banks cloaked in acacias, willows, cypress poplars, to the east by the looming slopes of the neighboring municipality of San Zenone degli Ezzelini, covered with dense vegetation of firs, cypresses, birches, field maples, cedars, and elderberry.
The white facade of the place of worship, facing northeast, is vertically tripartite by two pairs of Corinthian pilasters which, resting on high bases, frame the wooden door surmounted by a curved pediment and support the pediment, frieze, and dentiled triangular pediment.
Inside, the church has a single nave, white and well-lit, adorned with precious altars in polychrome marble and an elegant fresco in the center of the ceiling.
Betraying the church’s millenary origins is a small carved cross surrounded by white plaster on the southern wall.
The CAI 950 trail and the shrine of the Madonna del Cornon
The starting point of the itinerary is the parish church of Pove del Grappa. Leave the church facade behind you, turn left into Via Guglielmo Marconi. Proceed along the cobblestone street narrow between houses and well-kept hedges. Leave to your left the church of San Pietro, in whose facade a niche opens with the statue of the saint.
Pass the municipal library and the monument in Piazzale Martiri del Grappa, then turn left onto the asphalt road in Via del Cornon. Proceed for 190 meters and keep left, then continue 130 meters and at the fork keep right in Via del Cornon.
After about 170 meters you will find the statue of Saint Joseph standing on a terrace surrounded by stone blocks, with two thick trees with shiny leaves, perhaps two privets, as a backdrop.
Follow the signs of the sign indicating the direction for Madonna del Cornon and take the paved climb that in autumn months becomes covered with a thick layer of red and golden leaves.
Walk along the mule track, once used to facilitate the transport of rocks downhill, along which you will find a sculpture of Saint Lucia, carved into the rock, holding the traditional symbols of eyes placed on a plate (According to legend, the eyes of Saint Lucia, which the young woman had removed to give them to her suitor who admired them so much, miraculously grew back) and the knife with which she was martyred.
Continue, paying attention to the white and red bands painted along the walls that mark the CAI 950 trail until you reach a breathtaking viewpoint from which you can admire the steep slopes of the Vicentine Prealps, the sinuous silver ribbon that on clear days reflects dazzling sunlight and, wrapped in a light pale haze, the settlement below made of countless red roofs and green areas dotted with dark trees.
Proceed along the main road until you reach one of the most significant monuments of the municipality of Pove del Grappa: the Shrine of the Madonna del Cornon, built by stonecutters in the first half of the 20th century which stands near a bivouac with a beautiful stone fireplace.
After about 2.5 km you will arrive at the enchanting village of Nogarole, a splendid hamlet at 650 meters above sea level. Follow the CAI 950 signs from which spectacular panoramic views of Valbrenta can be seen. Venture into the dense forest vegetation and continue for almost 4 km until you reach Pian dei Nosellari.
The pleasant path suspended on the mountainside emerges in a small clearing next to the provincial road 148 in Camposolagna, the last stop of the route at 1017 meters above sea level, offering a wide-ranging view of the urban and natural landscape of Valbrenta.
The galleries of Pove del Grappa
If you want to visit the stonecutters’ galleries, once you have reached the sanctuary of the Madonna del Cornon, follow the signs for Cave – Priare. Climb up some hairpin bends that lead to evocative tunnels carved into the rock, through which you will reach a fascinating panoramic viewpoint. Continue along the itinerary to the monument dedicated to the stonecutters, then take the path suitable for people with disabilities that goes into the forest and, keeping right, you will reach an abandoned quarry now used for rock climbing.
