I think we all have a location that has a special place in the heart. Mine is definitely Sella Sant’Agnese, a saddle located at an altitude of about 450 metres. It’s a place that is very dear to me, but also to the people of Gemona in general; a place of peace and quiet, just a stone’s throw from the historic centre of Gemona. A peaceful oasis where you can go to get away from everyday life and daily hurry.

The parking lot in Gleseute is easily reached and once you cross the Vegliato torrent, you continue along a dirt road that takes you to Sella in about twenty minutes.

Shortly before arriving, you come across an unusual rocky spur, known to locals as  Clap da l'Agnel; it is a feature caused not by the various landslides that characterise the view from the road, but by erosion that through the centuries has sculpted it so distinctly, almost as if it had been placed there just to keep watch over passers-by.

When one reaches the saddle, one is pervaded by a feeling of peace... the hill does not immediately reveal the presence of the little church dedicated to Saint Agnes, the origins of which date back perhaps to the twelfth century, built on the ruins of a pagan temple alongside the old Celtic track. The original complex was probably annexed to a hermitage of Benedictine nuns, who moved at the end of the thirteenth century to the convent of the Suore Francescane del Sacro Cuore (Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart) in the old centre of Gemona.

So you need to make a last effort before sitting under the porch of the little church and admiring the view of the country around Gemona. Looking at the little church from the left you will see the outline of monte Cumieli, which is easily reached and from which you can can drop down to the village of Ospedaletto. On the right, instead, one is immediately struck by the “fan” (called Cres di Cengle), a series of semicircular folds recalling a fan.

Sant’Agnese, as I said, is a destination dear to locals and is well suited for a relaxing walk, a run, a mountain bike ride. In other words, it is ideal for many sports activities but also for a picnic on a pleasant spring day or to find a little cool on summer evenings. It is a place to be enjoyed year-round, to experience this wonderful place in every season.