SHARRYLAND
Shrine of Saints Victor and Crown
An unexpected jewel of Romanesque-Byzantine art overhanging the rock on the way to the Dolomites.
Where is
What it is and where it is
The Sanctuary of Saints Victor and Crown is a wonderful example of Romanesque and Byzantine art. It is unexpectedly encountered near the village of Anzù, along the road from Treviso to Feltre. But you only catch a glimpse of it by raising your eyes to the sky, as is also fitting for a sacred place, because it is set sheer on a rocky outcrop. An evocative cloister with two orders of loggias recounts episodes from the life of the shrine and of Feltre with its frescoed lunettes in popular style. Instead, beautiful frescoes by pupils of Giotto, Tommaso da Modena and Vitale da Bologna are kept inside.
Why it's special
From the top of the Sanctuary there is a magnificent panorama. The view sweeps down into the valley crossed by the Sonna stream, a short distance from the Piave: rows of trees, high ground, villas, houses and, in the background, nestled in the hills, the beautiful walled city of Feltre. And then Monte Grappa and the backdrop of peaks heralding the Dolomites.
Not to be missed
For those who want to immerse themselves little by little in silence and recollection, it is possible to walk the last stretch of road that climbs from Anzù to the Sanctuary, with a short walk along a well-maintained path dotted with small chapels. The Sanctuary is also the starting and finishing point of the "Cammino delle Dolomiti": a loop trail in 30 stages (over 500 km) that embraces the entire province of Belluno from north to south, encountering its most significant religious and historical sites.
A bit of history
The Sanctuary, in the shape of a Greek cross, was built "in spurts" at the behest of the great feudal lord John of Vidor between 1096 and 1101, in honor of the Holy Martyrs Victor and Crown, whose remains are kept in the "Martyrium." They are precisely the patron saints of the city of Feltre, who died martyrs in Syria in 171. Victor was a Roman soldier and Corona was the 16-year-old wife of one of his fellow soldiers. The two saints are remembered on the two feasts of May 14 (liturgical feast day) and September 18 ("Saint Vetoret," commemorating the arrival of the relics on Mount Miesna).
Curiosities
According to popular belief, those who sit on the thirteenth-century bishop's chair are cured of back pain.
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