ガレアタのおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

More info about the area and the legend: https://www.santuaritaliani.it/santuario/madonna-degli-occhi/

Near Santa Sofia on a hill 300 meters above sea level stands the small village called Collina di Pondo, already known in 1200 as Castrum Pondi. In the hamlet there is the Sanctuary of the Madonna degli Occhi, a small church that enjoys a beautiful view of the valley and the surrounding hills. A church with two faces, simple and bare on the outside, sumptuous and full of colorful paintings on the inside. A long time ago, where the Sanctuary of the Madonna degli Occhi now stands, there was a path trodden by pilgrims heading to Rome. Collina di Pondo is known above all for its miraculous spring, beneficial for those with eye and vision problems. According to tradition, in fact, a few hundred meters from the Sanctuary of Collina di Pondo, the Madonna appeared to a deaf and blind shepherdess, who miraculously regained her sight and hearing. Hence the tradition that still leads the faithful to walk the path of the cells that from the Sanctuary goes into the woods to the miraculous source. (Source: https://www.visitsantasofia.it/it/collina-di-pondo/ )

Historic place......where a massacre of the Second World War took place

The climb from Galeata along the Via Crucis is really steep, a real Via Crucis but the abbey is a nice point of passage Do not miss the visit and inserting the head into the void

The abbey of Sant'Ellero is a Romanesque abbey located 3 km from Galeata, where the mortal remains of the saint are still kept. It is located on the top of the hill overlooking Galeata.

Benches

The Abbey of Sant’Ellero a Galeata was founded in the fifth century by S.Ellero and was a fundamental religious and medieval center of culture. The church, located on a relief outside Galeata at a height of about 200 meters, can be reached both via a road that can be traveled by car and via an ancient mule track. The building has a Romanesque-style facade made up of sandstone blocks; the portal with columns is decorated with capitals and a large rose window. The most interesting part of the church is the crypt where, inside a sarcophagus decorated with crosses, the relics of St. Ellero are preserved and venerated. The place where Saint Ellero and Theodoric apparently met is indicated near the abbey. A column surmounted by a cross serves to recognize the meeting place. (Source: https://www.romagnatoscanaturismo.it/turismo-spiritiva/abbazia-di-santellero/)