Colle Santa Lucia
A Ladin perl of the Agordino
Colle Santa Lucia (“Còl” in Ladin dialect, 1453 m above sea level) is a small and charming mountain village of the Dolomites UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site which is absolutely beautiful and characteristic. Located on a spectacular natural panoramic terrace with view on the wide and verdant Fiorentina Valley and on the majestic Mount Pelmo (3168 m) and Mount Civetta (3220 m), Colle Santa Lucia is, altough very small, a Municipality that has a unique charm.
Together with the neighbouring Municipality of Livinallongo del Col di Lana, Colle Santa Lucia is the only Municipality of the Agordino that can define itself properly “Ladin”: Colle Santa Lucia had been indeed part of the Austrian Tyrol from the Midde Ages until 1923. The ancient affiliation to the contiguous German-speaking Country is still visible in many architectural (the main square for example) and cultural (the local dialect is strongly related to the Sella dialects and in the municipal territory is easy to notice the effects of the ‘Maso Chiuso’, the Ladin way to administer the family land) features.
The beautiful main square of Colle Santa Lucia is definitely worth a visit; the panoramic view that visitors enjoy from this place is certainly one of the things to do on the occasion of a holiday in the Dolomites UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Just a few steps far from the main square lies the beautiful Chizzali – Bonfadini Palace, built in 1612, that stands out at first glance for the splendid iron gratings that protects the windows of the building: it is the iron coming from the Fursil Mines, also called “the Iron of the Lamb” (the lamb was the emblem of the Bishop of Brixen, owner of the mines), whose owners dwelt in the Chizzali – Bonfadini palace.
Nowadays, the Chizzali – Bonfadini Palace, also called “Cesa de Jan”, is the seat of the Istitut Ladin Cultural Cesa de Jan, a commendable institution that deals with the conservation and promotion of the “Ladinity” of Colle Santa Lucia and of its cultural and traditional aspects. The Istitut offers to visitors an interesting exhibition housed in the palace and dedicated to the culture, to the traditional works and to the past of Colle Santa Lucia; it organizes furthermore many cultural events throughout the year like the guided visits to the Fursil Mines.
The most important Iron Route of the Dolomites, that is the so-called “Strada da la Vena”, begins exactly in Colle Santa Lucia and it leads in almost 6 hours to the Andraz Castle and to the Valparola in Südtirol.
In addition to the huge cultural heritage of the village and to the presence of the Fursil Mines in its territory, Colle Santa Lucia has another ace in the hole: the Passo Giau. Among the most beutiful mountain passes of the Dolomites UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, the Giau Pass is definitely a natural wonder that is worth a visit, with its soft and bucolic landscape and its marvellous views on the Dolomites.
Tourist Information:
Pro Loco Colle Santa Lucia Phone:
+ 39 0437 720007
E-mail: info@collesantalucia.eu