San Lorenzo in Banale consists of as many as seven villas, or hamlets, and all are distinguished by their own characteristics: churches, patrons and traditions, as if they were towns in their own right. Strolling through the village's paved streets you can discover the beauty of each hamlet, from Pergnano to Berghi, from Dolaso to Senaso, from Prusa to Prato to Glolo.
The heart of this beautiful village in Trentino, in whose air you will breathe the ancient scent of freshly cut wood, flowers and milk, is made up of picturesque little squares, gurgling stone fountains and elegant rural houses in the typical giudicariese style, typical of the western Trentino area between the Upper Rendena Valley and the upper Sarca river.
Each building has its own hay and farmyard buildings: among all of them you will be particularly struck by Casa Moscati, Casa Martinoni on top of the Colle dei Frati, so impressive that it will almost remind you of a convent, and Casa Mazoleti in Prusa. The latter you will recognize from the elegant loggia decorated with colorful flowers and the sundial well preserved: the layout of the rooms sees the presence of stables and cellars on the ground floor, hay storage on the upper floors and the drying area in the attic, accessible via the typical ramp pont.
Among the most beautiful churches of San Lorenzo in Banale, except the deconsecrated church of San Lorenzo, stands out the Church of Saints Rocco and Sebastian in Pergnano: inside are beautiful frescoes by the Baschenis, the itinerant artists of the 16th century.
Don't miss a visit to the House of the Park located in an eighteenth-century building restored in such a way as to recall a typical rural dwelling of the place: here you can learn the history of the rural civilization of San Lorenzo in Banale, also represented by objects of daily life belonging to the Widmann collection.
What to do in San Lorenzo in Banale between events and excursions
If you want to have a vacation in San Lorenzo in Banale, know that every season will reveal a different face of this lovely village: in winter you can reach the ski slopes of the Andalo Ski Area or those of Madonna di Campiglio, just over 55 km away.
At the end of summer, when the colors of the Adamello Brenta Natural Park are still vivid and bright, San Lorenzo in Banale hosts the very popular Dolomiti Olistic Festival: during this event you can experience a series of regenerating activities for body and mind, immersing yourself totally in nature. Perception walking, tree hugging, vibrational baths and simple excursions in contact with nature are waiting for you, maybe to the nearby WWF Oasis of Nembia Lake, a crystal clear stretch of water with such transparent waters that you can easily see big trout swimming in it; a 3km long ring path will allow you to circumnavigate the lake among spruce trees, beech trees, wild pines and characteristic mountain huts almost all leaning against rocky walls.
In autumn, however, when the territory begins to color warm orange tones, San Lorenzo in Banale hosts the Sagra della Ciuìga: a delicious smoked sausage made of turnips and pork. It is said that at the end of the 19th century a local butcher used pork waste to create a new sausage, mixing it with chopped turnips. Today the anchovy is prepared with selected pork meat and you can taste it during this folkloristic festival accompanied by mashed potatoes or cabbage.
Once you have visited the village you will be able to visit the surrounding beauties such as the Terme di Comano located in the heart of the Salus Valley just 15 km from the village of Trentino and a little closer to the Castle of Stenico, located a stone's throw from the beautiful Rio Bianco waterfalls whose roar released into the air will accompany your visit to this ancient fortress: this mighty manor, home of the prince-bishops of Trento since the twelfth century, is also present in the beautiful Cycle of the Months that frescoes the vaults of the Eagle Tower in Trento. Inside you can visit elegant rooms furnished with original period furniture such as headboards and four-poster beds, fabrics, cake moulds, cribs, winches, spindles and even playing cards from Trentino.
