Where the last tall beeches of the Forest of Smiles give way to pastures, near Alpe Montuccia, is the Eremo di Maria (Hermitage of Mary), a place for admiring the landscape of Valsessera or for contemplation and regaining inner wellbeing.
The hermitage is on the site of an old alpine pasture settlement. Every stone, every beam holding up the roof, the boulder around which the walls were built, the slabs forming the flooring, they are all from this place.
The sobriety of the materials forming this alpine chapel and the simplicity of its decorations create a sense of peacefulness that favors meditation and spirituality.
To savor the atmosphere inside the hermitage, the keys can be obtained from the Locanda Bocchetto Sessera, at the start of the Forest of Smiles itinerary.
The chapel may also be hired for weddings in a natural setting of peace and serenity.
