A quick detour from the main road leads to what was once the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso, in the territory of Leggiana.
It is documented as a place of worship as early as 1383. The ancient church has completely been replaced by the current chapel built in the eighteenth century, today in need of restoration. The aedicule is older and dates back to the 14th-15th century, with 16th-century frescoes on the side walls depicting Saint Lucy and Saint Claudius and a central wood panel repainted in later years and now covered by a modern photograph.
The church stands on a natural rocky plateau near the Menotre, the river that gives its name to the whole valley. The Menotre river is born near the mountain village of Sellano, not far from Rasiglia, where it receives tributary waters and descends into the valley of Scopoli and Pale. In Pale, the river generates the Altolina waterfalls, creating hydraulic power widely exploited over the centuries for production purposes; the Menotre river later flows into the Topino near Scanzano, with an overall course of about 30 km.
