Passo San Pellegrino

San Pellegrino Pass lies at 1,918 metres on the watershed between Trentino and Veneto. Its hospice history, First World War remains and position among the Dolomites mark it as both a historic crossing and a mountain landscape.

Why it matters

The pass was used since antiquity and became an important route during the Crusades, linking central Europe with Venice. Its name recalls the friars who maintained a hospice for pilgrims. The surrounding heights later became part of the First World War front, while the pass also formed part of the region’s twentieth-century growth in mountain tourism.

What to notice

The little church and rebuilt hospice stand near the site of the earlier hospice, destroyed in the First World War. The Costabella crests and Col Margherita frame the pass, which separates the Fassa Dolomites from the Feltre group and the Pale di San Martino. Trenches and military positions remain on the surrounding heights. The La Volata piste hosted women’s World Cup speed races in 2021.

Context and history

In 1358, several men of Moena left a bequest to build a hospice beyond the place then called Passo di Aloch. The hospice provided lodging on the mountain road for centuries. The original building was destroyed in the 1915 bombardment; a successor was built on the present site. The first ski lift in the area used wooden pylons and was built by the owner of the Monzoni refuge. From the 1960s, private travel and lift infrastructure contributed to the pass’s development as a tourist destination. The former hospice now serves as a cultural exhibition venue.