Vallepietra and the Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity

Vallepietra, the ancient Vallis Pretarum or Val de Preta, is small town situated at 825 meters over the sea level in the valley of the Simbrivio River, not away from Subiaco (35 kilometres) and Rome (about 90 kilometres). It can be reached both passing through Jenne and departing from Subiaco and passing either through the Plateaus of Arcinazzo or for Trevi originating from Frusinate.
Vallepietra is delimited from the mount Tarino (m 1986) that separates it from Filettino, from the mount Author (m 1853) that separates it from Camerata and Subiaco, the Capitello that marks the border with Jenne, from the plateau of Faito that limits the borders with Trevi and from the plateau Field of the Stone that separates it from Cappadocia (Abruzzo).

Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity

In the municipality of Vallepietra is situated the Santuario della SS. Trinita' (Sanctuary of the Holy Trinity), a small hermitage at 1,350 metres above sea level. The sanctuary is situated in a natural grotto half way up the south slope of Monte Autore where there is an image of the Trinity that appeared on the walls of a cave in the 11th century and has been venerated since.

According to the legend a farmer tending his land on the overlooking Colle della Tagliata saw two oxs with their plow fall down a 300-metre precipice. The man went to the edge of the precipice thinking the animals would be dead, instead he saw the animals unharmed and adoring a mysterious fresco of the Trinity, which had suddenly appeared on a wall of rock.
Probably the sanctuary is located on a Roman temple (IV century a.C.), at first dedicated to the divinity of waters of the Simbrivio river (than still today they gush out under the great altar) and subsequently transformed, from monaci hermits, in the only sanctuary of the catholic world dedicated to the cult of the SS. Trinity.
The Sanctuary, with his fresco dating probably from the 12th century and which has strong Byzantine influences, is a place of popular adoration connected to the Benedictine abbeys in Subiaco. It is still today the end of pilgrimages, often led by feet; the site every year registers an average of 600,000 visitors, many Italian emigrants and foreign tourists.