Senale
Welcome to Senale-San Felice
Hello everyone! Today, I am taking you to discover Senale-San Felice, an Italian municipality located in the autonomous province of Bolzano in Trentino-Alto Adige. This city is composed of the two localities of Senale and San Felice.
Origin of the Name
The name Senale was derived from the Latin word "cascina" with the suffix "-ale", while the name San Felice is the namesake of the patron saint of the San Felice church. The name in German means "Our Dear Madonna in the Woods-San Felice". How beautiful!
History
Senale-San Felice was an important pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages, run by the regular canons of the Augustinian monastery of Muri-Gries Abbey in Bolzano. In 1946, the municipality passed from the autonomous province of Trento to the autonomous province of Bolzano. A 1974 American anthropological study compared the habits of the communities of Senale-San Felice and Tret, highlighting their cultural differentiations.
Coat of Arms
The municipality has an interesting feature: it has the crests of the two connected municipalities. They both have a blue background with a golden square on the sides curved and the vertices decorated with clovers representing the four original German-speaking municipalities of Val di Non: Lauregno, Proves, and Senale-San Felice. In the first square, there is a church in profile, while in the second, there is an image of San Felice holding a palm with his left hand and a book with his right. What an interesting crest!
Monuments and Places of Interest
Senale-San Felice has several churches, with the San Felice church being the most important. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Senale, already in the 12th century a famous pilgrimage site, has a simple structure but rich in altars and other works of art. In the center is the miraculous image of the "Madonna of the Woods" in a golden niche above the main altar. A marvel not to be missed!
Thank you for joining me on this trip to Senale-San Felice. If you enjoy visiting monuments and places of interest, I am sure you will appreciate this city. See you soon!
