Discover what to do in Sovramonte in the Province of Belluno: the San Dordi festival, a walk in Sovramonte, Mount Piavone. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Sovramonte?
The municipality of Sovramonte borders to the north with Imer, to the northeast with Mezzano, to the northwest with Canal San Bovo, to the south with Fonzaso, to the east with Feltre and Pedavena, to the west with Lamon.
The San Dordi Festival
According to the liturgical calendar, the day dedicated to Saint George is April 23. In 2024, the San Dordi festival took place from Tuesday 23 to Sunday 28 April at the Church of San Giorgio in the hamlet of Sorriva.
The celebration combines the solemnity of the holy mass and the procession in honor of the saint with the jovial and carefree atmosphere of a bygone festival, featuring charity concerts and exquisite food and wine specialties, from menestra de San Dordi to polenta con lo schiz.
The latter is a dairy specialty obtained from the curd of milk milked in the sunny mountain pastures of the Feltre and Belluno areas. The name of the product derives from the habit of collecting the curd that came out of the wooden mold used during the cheese pressing phase.
If you are wondering what to do in Sovramonte, the San Dordi festival is an unmissable opportunity to spend the spring season in good company in the extraordinary setting of the Sovramonte plateau.
For more information about the next edition of the traditional event, you can consult the Facebook page Pro Loco Sovramonte.
A Walk in Sovramonte
The starting point of the short itinerary is the car park in the Servo area, near the archpriest church of Santa Maria Assunta.
The Church of Santa Maria Assunta
Accessible via a staircase of twelve steps, the early medieval place of worship is distinguished by an austere and unadorned double-pitched facade, which incorporates the 15th-century bell tower. Built in Gothic Romanesque style, the latter dominates the historic heart of the village from its 36 meters in height. Illuminated by semicircular windows and a circular opening that stands above the wooden portal, the single nave of the church is adorned with precious wooden sculptures and splendid altars decorated with centuries-old paintings.
The Hamlets of Marcoi and Sorriva
At the exit of the car park, turn left and follow the provincial road 473 for 1 km, then turn left into Via Sorriva and cross the hamlet of Marcoi. Continue for 600 meters, leaving on your right the municipal gym, home to the innovation fair, the Sovramonte football field, and the enchanting Church of San Giorgio Martire, perched on a bright hill.
After passing the Sorriva cemetery, turn left and continue for 650 meters among rural buildings, lush tree-lined gardens, and fields of corn and beans. Keep right on Via Ponterra and proceed northeast for just over 1 km passing through the hamlet of Sorriva. Once you reach Bar al Giardino, keep left on Via Sorriva and proceed north, entering the dense vegetation of fir, walnut, black locust, field maple, birch, and many other lush tall trees that cover the green slope.
The Village of Zorzoi and the Church of San Zenone
After about 1 km, on your left you will find a grassy area with two tables and benches, one of which is made from a log, and a wooden votive shrine shaded by a birch tree.
Keep left and continue north towards the hamlet of Zorzoi, a charming village of Roman origin nestled on the wooded slopes of Mount Castello. Noteworthy is the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary of Pompeii, whose sharp spire stands out in the heart of the town. Follow the hairpin bends that wind among the ancient wooden and stone houses dotting the village.
On your left, in the shade of a walnut tree, you will find the entrance to the winding stone staircase that leads to the Church of San Zenone.
Casera di Col dei Mich and Casera Marini
Continue east to the stop sign (46.066508298923566, 11.779279472484784). Keep left and proceed southeast for 450 meters, then keep right and continue along the asphalt road from which you can admire the characteristic stepped casera of Col dei Mich and Casera Marini, nestled on a green slope dotted, in spring and summer, with buttercups and valerian. After passing the Roda shrine (46°03’59.4″N 11°46’45.4″E), continue for another 90 meters to the intersection, then turn right and continue downhill for 700 meters along the road that winds among the ancient stone houses of the Servo center. Leave the municipal seat on your left and proceed uphill to return to the parking area from which you started.
Mount Piavone
At its 2,235 meters of altitude, the imposing bulk of Mount Piavone towers over the majestic group of the Vette Feltrine. Approaching the summit of the mountain, the lush vegetation of beech, white fir, larch, and red fir gives way to forests of mountain pine, rhododendron, and larch, whose prickly crowns frame vast subalpine grassland areas.
If you are wondering what to do in Sovramonte, the vibrant floral and faunal heritage of the Mount Piavone reserve represents one of the most fascinating and fairy-tale hiking destinations in the province of Belluno.
