Sant’Elena

The hamlet of Sant’Elena above San Pancrazio is today a popular hiking destination with a small church in the middle of the forest.

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The road on the Monte Marano above San Pancrazio with view on the St. Helena Church: Behind it rises Mt. Guardia Alta of Naturno.
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Sant’Elena is one of several hamlets in the municipality of San Prancrazio in Val d’Ultimo - the church on the hill can be seen on the right.
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Originally, in addition to the high sanctuary, Sant’Elena also had a school, the rectory and a house for the curate of Sant’Elena.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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Sant’Elena is a popular hiking destination also in winter, which you can reach from San Pancrazio or Santa Valburga in the Val d’Ultimo.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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Detailed view: Time seems to stand still here, several old buildings stretch across the hill of Sant’Elena called “Helener Bichl” in dialect.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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The centre of the small hamlet is the St. Helena Church, dedicated to Helen of Constantinople, the mother of Constantine the Great.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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The small church, first mentioned in a document in 1338 AD, houses some beautiful baroque statues and a statue of the Virgin Mary from 1700.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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An old folk legend also associates the hamlet of Sant’Elena with a nearby mine, but there is no solid evidence for this.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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From the 18th century, Sant’Elena was then responsible for the 21 farms around the Monte Mariol and the Monte Scaglioni as a little church.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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The former school now serves as the House of Encounter - St. Helena School and is rented out to organisations and schools.
Foto: AT, © Peer
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Another building in “Helena”, as it is called by the local people, is the Helener Pichl inn, one of the excursion inns in the valley.
Foto: AT, © Peer

Sant'Elena (St. Helena) is one of ten hamlets that together form the municipal area of San Pancrazio in the Val d'Ultimo valley. Actually, there are only a few buildings standing in the middle of the forest at an altitude of about 1,500 m, but the place is all the more idyllic - a true power place. The St. Helena Church can be seen from afar, its red roof shines between the trees even in winter and shows the way. The saint is asked for help in case of storms and danger of fire.

In 1698, the little church was consecrated by the Bishop of Trento, but its history goes back several centuries further. Magnificent baroque statues and the sculpture of Mary from 1700 surround the altar. Sant'Elena's other buildings include the Helener Bichl inn and the "Haus der Begegnung" (House of Encounter), the seat of the former school of Sant'Elena which today is a farm that can be rented by associations and youth groups for training and conference purposes.

Old paths lead from San Pancrazio or Santa Valburga to this high altitude shrine at any time of the year. The hike from San Pancrazio starts in the village on trail no. 5, although there might be icy patches along the path in winter. Afterwards, the route takes you up to the little church in about two hours, constantly ascending. If you want to make it a little shorter or if you are on the way with your family, you can also start from the Kaserbach Farms Car Park on the Monte Marano above San Pancrazio: Just follow the sign "St. Helena" until you reach the car park.

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