HISTORICAL TOUR

San Silvestro in Monte

The chapel arises from the highest point of Valle San Silvestro and was built around 1200. There is some evidence that there had already been a pre-Christian place of worship in the place it was built. In the interior an important series of paintings from the 15th century can be found.

There was a prehistoric hillfort here, perhaps the sacrificial site of a deus silvester, a forest god, transformed to sanct silvester in Christian times. According to legend, an ancient, huge larch grew next to the little church, decorated by the shepherds with all kinds of figures, such as horses, cows and sheep. This pagan practice displeased the Dobbiaco priest and he had the tree cut down.
In the interior an important series of paintings from the 15th century.

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