Late autumn and winter are the best times for meditation along these ancient trails. You will discover a magical landscape; the cold fog of the valley will shroud your path almost until halfway, where you will be surprised to find yourself blinded by the warmth of the sun, with the peaks of Valbelluna emerging like small islands in a sea of clouds.
This small sanctuary built on the ruins of an ancient watchtower at 929 meters on Monte Avena is the subject of numerous popular legends. For the feast of the Sanctuary, celebrated on August 11, pilgrims walk up the steep path, with devotees asking for protection from “toss pagana”, whooping cough, and support for new mothers and their newborns. In the 1800s, sacred shrines were erected along the path leading to the Sanctuary as signals at crossroads and resting points. The site was militarily exploited since Roman times and throughout the Middle Ages and was abandoned by the Most Serene Republic of Venice. The same basin of water, strange and basin-shaped, might have been a brazier for optical signals.
This route, which leads to the little church of Saints Tiburzio and Susanna, is actually dotted with numerous signs of popular devotion. From the sports field of Facen, where parking is available, one heads towards the small square and takes the steep Via Anconetta. At a fork, almost hidden by a concrete wall, lies the Sass del Diaol: a porphyry boulder whose surface was engraved at some unspecified time with a series of overlapping crosses. These could be interpreted as processional signs to indicate to pilgrims the way up to the sanctuary.
Continuing west with more moderate slopes, one reaches a capital where the Madonna with Child is depicted alongside Saints Vito and Modesto. Here, behind, there is a house with a mural of Saint Anthony of Padua, entering into a small grove of hornbeams with ribbed and twisted trunks. Upon reaching another shrine dedicated to the Madonna with Child, this time accompanied by Saint Tiburzio and Saint Susanna, the path begins to ascend through the woods.
After a sharp left turn, a steep path is taken that then continues with a lesser slope until a wooden crucifix. Continuing, one joins a flat mule track, which we follow for a very short stretch, returning higher up to the steeper trail. If the day is particularly humid, there are good chances of spotting a striking salamander. We are now at the end of the route. The church of San Tiburzio and Santa Susanna appears above us, perched on a rocky spur, dominating the Feltrino basin. It is included in the thematic itinerary of the Park "Chiesette pedemontane", which connects 13 places of worship located at the foot of the Belluno Dolomites. By climbing the crest above, one reaches a dirt road; this leads to a grassy slope where some casère rise, preserving traditional elements like slate roofing. From here, the descent begins, surpassing other rustic buildings with panoramic positions, and continuing to follow the most evident trail, which maintains a stony bed and a winding course. The southern exposure favors the presence of plants that love light and tolerate dry soil conditions, such as larch and juniper. For a short stretch, the itinerary overlaps with the Via Tilman, a hiking trail that winds between Falcade and Asiago, dedicated to the English major who, between '44 and '45, was engaged in Belluno in an operation to support the Resistance.
Arriving at a small grassy hill (0.50 hours from S. Susanna), we leave the road that descends towards Fiere to take the steep path “delle musse”, used in the past for the transportation of loads of hay and wood down on wooden sledges. After passing two votive shrines, the path is accompanied by pleasant glimpses of the rural landscape. Then, having reached Via Anconetta, near the capital, we follow it to return to the starting point.
DEEPENING ON... Popular devotion in Facen
The Parish Church of Facen is the result of expansion work carried out between 1866 and 1927. However, the internal walls have preserved interesting traces of frescoes created between the 15th and 17th centuries. Simply recall the 15th-century Crucifixion in the nave, the 16th-century Saints Victor and Corona, and the 17th-century Annunciation on the triumphal arch. A splendid stone tabernacle from the 15th century is embedded in the Presbytery. Above them is the Sanctuary of Saints Tiburzio and Susanna, erected by a hermit between the 15th and 16th centuries on the remains of an ancient fortification. According to tradition, the Devil's intervention during the work formed the Sass del Diaol, a well in which the collected rainwater acquired miraculous properties. The current building is the result of various renovation works: in 1863, in particular, the pronaos with four columns was added. Above the entrance are depicted the Patrons. The Sanctuary has always been a destination for pilgrimages by the people of Feltrino, especially on May 1 for the rogations and for the feast on August 11, when the Facen community ascends in procession along the ancient path.
