1st STAGE: Sanzeno – Madonna di Senale (25.7 km)

The first stage of the Jacobean Way starts from the Basilica of the Holy Martyrs in Sanzeno and leads to the discovery ofAlta Val di Non, a fascinating plateau that alternates shrines and castles with forests, striking natural gorges and meadows.

Leaving the Basilica, go up to the Rhaetian Museum and take the walkway on the rock face directed to the Sanctuary of San Romedio. A few hundred meters before the shrine, take the ascent that, with a pronounced difference in altitude, leads to Salter and then, taking the new bike path, reaches Maso San Bartolomeo in Romeno (km 7.6, elevation 906 m). Here you can admire the valuable and ancient pilgrim hospice church, documented as early as 1213.

Continuing to walk along the Jacopo route, we reach the small church of St. Anthony in Romeno, valuable for its fresco cycle dedicated to the most famous miracle attributed to St. James of Compostela, commonly called the “legend of the hanged man.”

Continuing through beautiful grasslands, we reach Fondo (km 15.1, elevation 985 m) and here too there are several Jacobean-themed frescoes depicting the Saint of Compostela. Leaving the village is the small church of Santa Lucia, from which there is a splendid view of the villages below; proceeding toward the Palade Pass you reach Tret and, shortly after, enter the Nonsberg meeting San Felice (km 22.3, elevation 1263 m).

German-language signs indicate that we are only a short distance from our destination. Before the last climb we can admire the church of San Cristoforo and then arrive at Madonna di Senale – Unsere liebe Frau in Walde (elevation 1350 m). The 16th-century shrine was built on an ancient Romanesque church. An ancient hospice for pilgrims has been documented in this location since 1184.

Overall this beautiful stage is quite challenging both in length and in the elevation gain faced, but it has no very steep climbs except for the short one from the San Romedio Gorge to Salter.

Length: 26 km
Uphill elevation gain: 993 m
Downhill elevation gain: 273 m
Highest point: 1370 m
Lowest point: 639 m
Type of surface: mixed

Municipality of departure: Sanzeno
Starting location: Sanzeno
Municipality of arrival: Sanzeno
Place of arrival: Madonna di Senale

Recommended period: March to October

The most spectacular scenery in the Val di Sole and Val di Non opens up along the seven stages of the Jacopean Way of Anaunia, in that portion of Trentino that stretches westward toward the peaks of Adamello and Stelvio.

Anaunia
is the ancient name for Val di Non, where during the Middle Ages devotion to St. James inspired many men and women from Trentino to set out as pilgrims for Santiago de Compostela. The Jacobean Way retraces some of the stages tackled and, with the slow pace of walking, leads to the discovery of the beauty of the valley, where art, history, faith and culture are intertwined, set in stupendous views.

The itinerary in Val di Non runs on country roads immersed in the silence of forests and apple orchards, but it also penetrates the area’s farming villages to experience direct contact with the valley’s inhabitants and their traditions. Places of hermitages and frescoed churches where pilgrims found refreshment are encountered along the route, which today is marked by the unmistakable yellow shells.

The Jacobean Way is within the reach of anyone, as long as they have a good workout behind them because of the length of the stages. It is passable in all seasons, with spring as most recommended: the temperatures are not too high and you can enjoy the spectacle of the apple trees in bloom.

Before setting out, obtain the Credential, which can be stamped in churches along the Camino and allows access to discounted rates at “Pilgrim Friendly” establishments. To request it, write to APT Val di Non: info@visitvaldinon.it. It will be sent home free of charge.

Credits: APT Val di Sole, APT Val di Non and Anaune Association Friends of the Camino de Santiago