Madonna delle Grazie Church

It was built in late Baroque style in 1743, designed by architect Matthew Pamperch, on the site of a small church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin of Monte Ortone. The dimly lit interior does not do justice to the three altars present: the main altar and the two minor altars dedicated to St. Philomena and St. Anne. Standing out from the others is the altarpiece on the right altar, which comes from the church of St Justina. The artist, unknown, depicts Mary holding the Child to St. Anthony under the gaze of St. Francis and St. John. This little church has the merit of seeing a new architectural style introduced in Auronzo, a process that involved many neighbouring towns still tied to Gothic forms. The church was named after Our Lady of Graces following a vow made by the people of Auronzo to settle a long-standing dispute with Dobbiaco over the ownership of various pieces of land. It was then decided that the boundary between the two communities would be drawn at the meeting point of two women, one from Auronzo and the other from Dobbiaco. The crowing of the cockerel would determine the time of departure. The woman from Auronzo, thanks to the 'improper' use of a knitting needle, woke the rooster early and was thus able to cover more ground. The meeting took place at the Marogna bridge, located after Misurina, a place that still today marks the border between Veneto and Alto Adige. In remembrance of the event, on the roof, above the apse, stands the rooster, made of iron, with the three holes left by the stocking iron. A curiosity: the tree-lined avenue that you walk along today runs along the back of the church; the original route is in front of the façade. The church also marked the border between the hamlets of Villagrande and Villapiccola.