San Nicolò with its two church towers, once a well-known place of pilgrimage, snuggles up to the slopes of the Mendola Ridge
Image gallery: San Nicolò di Caldaro
The 6th of December is a very special festive day, here: on St Nicholas' Day, the patron saint of the church is celebrated in San Nicolò (St. Nikolaus, in German), a district of Caldaro. The little village high above Lake Caldaro was once called Mondevinum: In this large wine-growing area, a name that is self-explanatory. The people of the Oltradige then simply called the settlement ‘Oberdorf’ (upper village). After the picture on the high altar, which shows the Weeping Mother of God, was transferred from a farm to the church after miraculous events in 1733, the village became a well-known Marian pilgrimage site and was renamed.
The image of the Madonna is a copy of a work by Giovanni Battista Salvi Sassoferrato. As already mentioned, it made San Nicolò a well-known Tyrolean place of pilgrimage. Today, two church towers adorn the village: one of them was built in 1880 to relieve the other, which was apparently dilapidated. It is said that it vibrated when the bells rang and might have collapsed. Valuable frescoes by Bartlmä Dill Riemenschneider from 1530 adorn the interior. A small church is said to have existed here already in the 13th century.
Today, only a few pilgrims come to San Nicolò, but all the more guests recharge their batteries in Caldaro on the Wine Road. Peace and quiet dominate this area. The hiking trails and cycle routes above and below the little village offer the opportunity to experience the surroundings without a car or traffic. A footpath starts right in the village and takes you up to the beautiful Mendola Pass.
