Turano

The heart of Valvestino

Owing to its close proximity to the main transport routes, Turano has been the rendezvous point for representatives of individual municipalities since ancient times and is still the municipal centre of the Municipality of Valvestino.

The village is centre for services with a post office, health centre, pharmacy, library, BTL bank branch with an ATM, the Forestry Association-Ecomuseum of Val Vestino and a grocery store-bar where typical produce from the valley can be purchased, including Tombea cheese.

Situated on a meadowy ridge, the village is compact and linear in shape, with houses lined along the main road. Turano consists of a square dedicated to the “Madonna Pellegrina” and three main streets with some characteristic covered arched walkways. You’ll discover spots that are unique in their simplicity as you explore along the road to the church at the top of the village, dedicated to San Rocco (St. Roch), protector of the valley’s inhabitants from the plague in 1500. The view towards Armo and the peak of Monte Tombea is stunning. There are two churches. One rests on a geological terrace just beyond the houses, the other nestled at the foot of the village: this is the Valley’s ancient parish church dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the first church in Val Vestino both by age and by role. Already established in 928, it is mentioned in a papal bull in 1186 and was formally appointed rectory church of the other valley churches in 1787. With a Romanesque structure, the church has a single aisle with side altars and chapels, including one dedicated to St. John the Baptist where baptisms were performed. This may explain why the old church dedicated to St. Mary of the Assumption was later dedicated to St. John the Baptist when it was rebuilt. Inside there are three altarpieces of particular interest: the Beheading of St. John the Baptist and the Madonna of the Rosary, both by the painter Andrea Bertanza of Padenghe, and the Madonna and Child, also known as the “Madonna of the Snow”, by an unknown artist. What’s noteworthy is the inscription on the main altar, made of marble and bearing the Lodrone coat of arms, highlighting that it was erected at the expense of Count Carlo Ferdinando di Lodrone. A coin of Maximinus Pius Germanicus (235-238 AD) was found near the church, documenting Roman presence in the Valley.

Here, on the penultimate Sunday in August, the ancient Perdono di Turano festival is celebrated. Legend has it that in 1166, during the struggles of the free Italian communes, Pope Alexander III (1159-1181), exiled from Rome during his wanderings through Italy, passed through Val Vestino in pursuit of his adversary, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. With the aid of the people of Val Vestino, the Pope said mass in the church of St. John the Baptist in Turano and granted them the special plenary indulgence of Pardon, or “Perdono”.

On the green opposite the parish church, the Valley Council met to legislate and judge, while the cattle market was held in Bersaglio di Turano. Turano’s boundaries extend beyond the promontory of Monte Camiolo, encompassing the Droane balcony overlooking the Droanello Valley.