The way of the stonemasons and the Cornon Sacellum

Panorama of Pove and the Brenta Valley

The Madonna of the Cornon

The sacellum of Cornon is a devotional temple that, with its classic, regular volumetry and elegant columns, stands out in the surrounding untamed and free nature. It was built by stonemasons in the early 1900s, and dedicated by them to the Madonna to protect the Povese community. One of the most evocative times to visit it is on May 1, at the beginning of the month dedicated to Our Lady, the day on which Holy Mass is celebrated at the Cornon Sacellum.

Despite its small size, for locals it is a place of strong spirituality. This is evidenced by a plaque found shortly after the sacellum itself, which commemorates the courage and perseverance of Don Balasso: he was the town's parish priest who, by now debilitated and weakened by illness, had expressed a desire to return to visit the Madonna del Cornon. Some parishioners then, equipped an old sleigh, made the parish priest get on it and then dragged him to the beloved shrine. A pleasant reminder of the spirit of sharing, altruism and humanity that animated our small communities.

The quarries of Pove, between past and present

Moving on, one reaches the spur of the quarries, a privileged vantage point over the territory and the surrounding beauty. Just to give an example, from here the gaze can stretch as far as Bassano del Grappa, coming to distinguish its Ponte Vecchio, but it can wander even further, toward the plain and the Berici Hills, an authentic spectacle.

The path to the quarries

Stonemasons climbed along this mule track in order to reach the quarry, for centuries the hub of Pove del Grappa's economy. As early as the 16th century, the architect Scamozzi praised the quantity and quality of the marble slabs extracted here in Pove. Of the different types, the one that most characterizes this place is "biancone," a marble that owes its name to its white or ivory-white color. The good quality of the material was reflected in the craftsmanship of the local artisans: it is not for nothing that the work of the Povesi stonemasons is esteemed all over the world. It was hard, dangerous work that led them to quarry the biancone at high altitudes and then bring it to the workshop, where it was expertly worked. In the late 1800s, however, mining went into crisis: many stonemasons preferred to go elsewhere, then came the wars and the industry never recovered. Today the quarry remains as a monument to the stonemasons and their art. Not far away, their old shelter also tells of echoes of that industrious past, and together with the quarry offers the attentive walker an opportunity to imagine a place then steeped in sweat and toil.