On the slopes of Monte Altare, above Vittorio Veneto, a small religious building has been looking out over the valley below for a century and a half: the Church of San Gottardo. It is not among the best-known destinations for religious tourism in the area — and precisely for this reason it remains one of the most authentic and uncrowded viewpoints that can be reached on a trip from Miane.
San Gottardo was built in 1865 to a design by the Vicenza-born architect Antonio Caregaro Negrin, on the exact spot where the Rocchetta di Salsa once stood: a fortified outpost of the Castle of San Martino. This is no minor detail. For centuries, this place marked a real border: here ran the line dividing the communities of Ceneda and Serravalle, then two distinct municipalities also from an ecclesiastical point of view, today both part of Vittorio Veneto.
Inside, an altarpiece by the Ceneda painter Antonio Dal Favero depicts Saint Godehard, whilst in 1972 former miners from the area and the local branch of the National Association of Italian Sailors placed a ceramic statue of Saint Barbara here, the work of artists Isidoro Da Col and Angelo Sentan from the Scomigo Centre for Artistic Ceramics — a gesture that also links this small sanctuary to the memory of labour and of those who worked in difficult conditions.
Behind the little church starts a path that winds along the ridge of the hill. Following it, you reach one of the sub-peaks, at an altitude of 392 metres, where there is a large metal cross erected in memory of those who fell in all wars: a silent stopping place, with a view stretching over the valley of Ceneda and Serravalle.
It is a short but intense walk, suitable for those seeking a moment of quiet away from the more beaten tracks — and for those who simply want to enjoy a different view of the Trevisan Prealps.
Vittorio Veneto is a short distance from Miane, in the same area as the Prosecco Hills and the Treviso Prealps. For those staying with us, San Gottardo is a perfect stop to combine with a day dedicated to religious tourism in the area, along with the other destinations on our itinerary blending faith and landscape: the Carmelite Sanctuary in Mian,’Abbey of Follina, the Landrel Cave and the Little Church of Saint Vigilius in Col San Martino.
Discover the accommodation and experiences of La Corte di Marga to organise your next trip among the churches and shrines of the area, or book directly your stay among the UNESCO vineyards.
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Who built the Church of Saint Gotthard and when?
It was built in 1865 by the Vicentine architect Antonio Caregaro Negrin, on the site of the ancient Rocchetta di Salsa, a fortified outpost of the castle of San Martino.
What can be seen inside?
A shovel depicting Saint Gotthard painted by Antonio Dal Favero and a ceramic statue of Saint Barbara, placed in 1972 by former miners of the area.
What is there to see nearby?
Behind the church starts a scenic path that climbs up to a sub-peak at 392 metres, where there is a metal cross dedicated to the fallen of all wars, with a view over the valley of Ceneda and Serravalle.