Hermitage of Santa Maria Giacobbe

The Hermitage of Santa Maria Giacobbe rises on the steep flank of the Sasso di Pale mountain, at an altitude of 525 meteres above sea level, above the Menotre gorge and the Altolina waterfalls. It presents itself as a composition of several buildings with the church at their center. Partly carved into the rock, the church underwent a profound restoration in 1712; inside there are frescoes from the 14th-15th centuries, the oldest of which are painted directly on the rock behind the altar. The sanctuary is first mentioned in a document dated 1295, where it is described as a place of therapeutic worship. It was once very popular with pilgrims in transit along the Lauretana Way. It was inhabited until 1963 and some of its spaces in the southern portion are still used. In the back leaning against the rock, there is a basin for the collection of water, also used for devotional purposes.