Ossana between winter trails, starry skies and village history

Ossana between winter trails and village history

The Valpiana snowshoe route leads from the Church of San Vigilio in Ossana to Valpiana. Valpiana is a flat hollow crossed by the Foce stream. Ossana is served by the Trentino Trasporti Malè–Mezzana–Fucine–Cogolo–Peio bus line.

The signposted path to the Giardino dei Sensi begins at Piazza San Vigilio. It was designed for visually impaired people and can only be accessed on foot. During the summer months, BoscoDerniga offers, among other things, astronomy evenings and workshops for children.

Starry skies and paths through the landscape

For observing the night sky, the village of Ossana holds the GOLD award “I cieli più belli d'Italia” for protecting and preserving the quality of its starry skies. The Ossana dark-sky designation includes Malga del Doss and Località Valpiana as designated places for observing the stars and the Milky Way.

The Val di Sole Cycle Path runs from the San Leonardo ponds along the Vermigliana River to Castello San Michele in Ossana. The section from Ossana to Mezzana alternates between flat stretches and gentle descents. The route to Malga Valpiana passes through a deciduous forest at the foot of high rock walls and by the Cascata del Sass Pisador. At Malga Valpiana, typical dishes are prepared with products sourced directly from the mountain hut, such as butter, cheese, ricotta and yoghurt.

Historic sites in the village centre

In the historic centre of Ossana stands the Casa degli Affreschi, a rare medieval house between the Church of San Vigilio and Castello San Michele. The Casa degli Affreschi features a cycle of frescoes with religious and secular scenes. Some stylistic and iconographic features point to the work of the Baschenis, while others reveal Venetian influence. The Church of San Vigilio in Ossana is considered a medieval parish church.

Castello San Michele probably dates back to the period of the Lombards in the 6th to 8th centuries; the first written records date from 1191. Its keep rises 25 metres above the lanes of the village of Ossana.

The historic surroundings also include Parco della Pace east of Ossana. It is located on a former Austro-Hungarian military cemetery where more than 1,400 soldiers who died in the First World War were buried. A Stations of the Cross trail leads around the Church of Sant'Antonio da Padova on Colle Tomino, across the hill and past painted wayside shrines dating from 1733 to 1739.

The Stuva Nova is an elegant room in the Fondazione San Vigilio. It was created around 1740 at the instigation of Archpriest Ludovico Isidoro Ignazio Rovereti and features carved and decorated walls made of Swiss pine, as well as a Baroque stove with mythological motifs. The Stuva Nova also houses seven 18th-century oil paintings depicting sacred scenes. Admission is free, and it can be visited during the opening hours of the Fondazione San Vigilio or by telephone appointment at 0463 751301.

Ossana is known for a seasonal exhibition featuring more than 1,600 distinctive handmade nativity scenes. The nativity scenes come from associations, groups, schools, families, artists and residents of Ossana, as well as from throughout Val di Sole.

Further destinations: Lago, Palai Im Fersental, Passo Del Tonale, Faedo, Fondo, Sarnonico, Cavalese, Lavis

To the main travel overview: Trentino-South Tyrol.