Cadria, Church of San Lorenzo

Churches of Val Vestino

Cadria, the smallest and most isolated hamlet in the Vestino Valley, stands out for its picturesque charm. Just below the village, on a gentle slope, stands the isolated little church of San Lorenzo (St Lawrence), surrounded by meadows, pastures, and farmland.

Images: Cheleo Multimedia

The little church was first mentioned in 1537 in a report by the bishop’s delegates from the diocese of Trento as a chapel subject to the church of San Giovanni Battista (St John the Baptist) in Turano. However, its origins may date back to the Lombard era, with subsequent reconstructions in the 15th century and a documented renovation in 1547. This date is indicated above the fresco on the façade depicting the patron saint.

It was inspected in July 1750 by a priest delegated by the coadjutor of the Prince-Bishop of Trento, Leopoldo Ernesto of the Counts of Sigmundskron Castle.

The building has a single-nave structure with exposed wooden beams and a cross-vaulted presbytery decorated with recently restored frescoes. A particularly valuable fresco is preserved in the apse. In 1967, the bell tower was rebuilt, replacing the historic “miraculous bell” from 1547 with two new bells: the “Santa Croce” and the recast “Lorenzina”. The latter, according to a local legend, possesses beneficial powers against evil spirits and, above all, protects against hail if you ring it. The bells rang out at length on the morning of Thursday 25 May 1972, when, in the history of local Christianity, the first bishop Monsignor Luigi Morstabilini came to visit.

On 10 August, the day dedicated to San Lorenzo, a festival with ancient roots is celebrated, which was established in 1588 thanks to the testamentary bequest of Angelo Stefani of Magasa, owner of the land on which the church stands. During this celebration, following the tradition of the “Pio Legato Pane e Vino,” a loaf of bread and a fifth of wine are distributed to each participant in the Mass. In 1978, the municipality of Magasa became the owner of the little church, with the moral obligation to respect the benefactor’s wishes.

Memorable days for Cadria include 10 August 2003 and 2004, when Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the “De Propaganda Fide” Congregation, visited the hamlet. On these occasions, the cardinal paid homage to the birthplace of the mother of Blessed Daniele Comboni, who was proclaimed a saint on 5 October, 2003, by Pope John Paul II.

In 2004, in a solemn ceremony, the cardinal celebrated Mass flanked by two bishops and the parish priests from the valley, blessed the traditional distribution of bread, and participated in the dedication of the small square in memory of St Daniele Comboni. A marble plaque in the church commemorates these historic visits.