Sirmian Pinot blanc: a crisp white wine from the vineyards above Nalles on the South Tyrolean Wine Road
Image gallery: Sirmiano
Above Nalles lies Sirmiano (Sirmian), also known as Sirmiano di Sotto, that's to say Lower Sirmiano, to distinguish it from the neighbouring Sirmiano di Sopra (Upper Sirmiano). In this small mountain village, on sun-drenched slopes rising towards the Mendola Ridge between 500 and 700 metres above sea level, grow the grapes for a very special white wine. From the Pinot blanc cultivated here, the Nalles-Magrè Winery produces the single-varietal "Sirmianer", an elegantly dry South Tyrolean wine with a bright, light yellow colour and nuances of lime, lily, and quince.
Once part of Tesimo, Sirmiano is now one of the three hamlets of Nalles. You can reach it via the road that leads uphill from Stachelburg Castle on the edge of Nalles. This route hosts important mountain bike and vintage car races. Hiking trails, such as the section of the Way of St. James from Andriano to Sirmiano, also pass through here. Other destinations include the St. Apollonia Church in Sirmiano di Sopra and the Burgstalleck viewpoint.
At the heart of the village stands the Sacred Heart Church, a simple building with a small tower, surrounded by about 20 buildings - that's the total number of houses in Sirmiano. An important testament to the village's long history is the 13th-century Bavaro Castle (Payrsberg or Payersberg). The Lords of Payr built the complex on a rocky outcrop with steep cliffs on three sides.
Even before Bavaro Castle, a fortress called "Sermiana" stood in Sirmiano. Destroyed by the Franks in 590 AD, its name was nevertheless passed on to the settlement that arose here.
