The trekking of the Thinking Christ is an itinerary that allows you to explore Mount Castellezzo, isolated and surrounded by pastures and breathtaking panoramic views including the Pale di San Martino.
Tourist information
Monte Castellazzo is located in an integral protection area of the Panaveggio-Pale di San Martino Park, surrounded by the extraordinary beauty of the Dolomite landscape.
The summit reaches 2333 meters above sea level, and its slopes still preserve the walkways and the remains of the Great War, when the mountain was an Italian stronghold in a territory conquered by the Austrians.
excursion
The trekking excursion to Monte Castellazzo starts from the Baita Segantini, reachable from Passo Rolle by shuttle bus or on foot, following the path that passes from the Matterhorn hut for a journey time of about 1 hour.
From the Baita Segantini the path R01 Castellazzo starts. Trekking of the thinking Christ, which crosses vast pastures and deep gullies, overlooking the Pale di San Martino, Val Venegia and Marmolada.
The path proceeds on a flat and light descent, until you get under the scree, where the right path continues uphill for about 100 meters, before reaching a flat stretch, along which looking down on the right you can see the remains of the Prima World War.
At the end of the flat section the path becomes a mule track and the climb becomes quite steep for the first 200 meters, then continues less steeply through hairpin bends, until it turns into a path again.
The climb continues and at the end of a long meadow you reach a saddle with a tunnel, where you find a disused path that climbs along the scree.
We continue to the right passing in front of a ruin of the war.
Here the climb ends and, leaving the path near the hairpin bend, continue for about 200 meters before turning right, reaching the statue of the Thinking Christ.
Thinking Christ
The statue of the Thinking Christ, placed on the top of Monte Castellazzo in June 2009, was created thanks to the collaboration between the Apt of the Val di Fiemme, the Apt San Martino di Castrozza, Passo Rolle and Vanoi and the Ente Natural Park of Paneveggio Pale di San Martino.
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The author of the work is the sculptor Paolo Lauton, from Predazzo, while the creator is the Nordic Walking instructor Pino Dellasega.
The statue, made of white Predazzo marble, commonly called Predazzite, weighs 20 quintals, is about 180 centimeters high and represents Christ sitting on a boulder that is thinking.
The crown of thorns placed on his head was made with barbed wire used during the Great War, taken partly on Mount Castellazzo and partly in Malga Valazza at the Passo del Valles.
Under the thinking Christ, in a special display case, the symbols of the most sacred places in the world are preserved: the water from the source of Lourdes, the Lake of Gethsemane, the earth and the stones of Jerusalem, the Colosseum, place of martyrdom of many Christians, from Chestochova, from San Giovanni Rotondo and Pietrelcina, and the elk from Cova da Iria in Fatima.
On the base of the statue was placed a plaque with the inscription that contains a phrase of Mother Teresa of Calcutta: "Find time to think, find time to pray, find time to smile".
From the place where the statue was placed, continuing on the path on the left, you reach the summit where the cross is located.
The route offers interesting ideas for meditation and beautiful panoramic views of the Pale di San Martino group, the Adamello Brenta group and the Lagorai chain.
