San Giacomo is known for its little eponymous church, the Dlieja da Sacun, with its valuable Gothic frescoes
Image gallery: San Giacomo
If you drive a little further into the valley from Ortisei, the farms and houses of San Giacomo (St. Jakob) extend along a sunny slope. The majestic peaks of the Val Gardena Dolomites rise up all around, and a church tower peeks out of the forest above the hamlet.
It is the steeple of the Saint Jacob's Church, or Dlieja da Sacun in Ladin, the oldest church in the whole Val Gardena valley. It can only be reached on foot: A 20-minute walk from San Giacomo or a hike of about an hour from Ortisei village will bring you to this little treasure with its precious frescoes and the main altar by the artist family Vinazer. The little church was first mentioned in 1283 AD, but it is probably significantly older. After a fire in the 15th century, it had to be rebuilt.
The present Gothic appearance dates from this time. Here on the southern slope of Mt. Pic there is another important witness of times gone by. The ancient high route "Troi Paian", the Pagans' Trail, once led from Venice over the Dolomite passes to the Valle Isarco. The little St. Jacob Church along the path, at about 1,500 m a.s.l., served as a resting place and destination for pilgrims, who addressed themselves here to St. Jacob, the patron saint of pilgrims and hikers. The historic trail already existed in the Bronze Age and today invites visitors to walk on the traces of human history.
