Pelugo
Pelugo is a small municipality in Val Rendena, in Trentino, spread out at 675 meters above sea level along the Sarca stream, betwe...
Ενημερώθηκε στις 21 Ιουλίου 2026
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Pelugo in Val Rendena, along the Sarca
Pelugo is located in Val Rendena, the Trentino valley situated between the Adamello-Presanella massif to the west and the Brenta Dolomites to the east, traversed along its entire length by the Sarca stream, which originates in these very places before descending to Lake Garda. The village, at 675 meters above sea level, borders Spiazzo and Strembo and is located near the entrance to Val di Borzago, the side valley that rises towards the Carè Alto glacier and ideally connects with Val Genova, the wild heart of the western slope of the Adamello-Brenta Park. The municipal territory, of almost 23 square kilometers, alternates between the cultivated valley floor and a network of farmsteads and woods that quickly ascend towards the alpine altitudes, in a landscape still little frequented compared to the more touristy centers of the valley such as Pinzolo and Madonna di Campiglio, but precisely for this reason capable of offering an authentic image of Val Rendena.
The church of Sant'Antonio Abate and the Baschenis frescoes
The most famous monument in Pelugo is the church of Sant'Antonio Abate, a building whose origins, according to studies on stonework, date back to the early Middle Ages, while the first certain document that mentions it is a will from 1375, when it was dedicated to both Saint Anthony and Saint James. What makes the church extraordinary is the cycle of frescoes that cover its facade and external side, the work of the famous family of itinerant painters, the Baschenis: on the facade stands the gigantic Saint Christopher with the Child, signed and dated October 1493 by Dionisio Baschenis, next to a Saint Anthony Abbot painted by Cristoforo I Baschenis in 1474, as well as scenes of the Annunciation, the Madonna Enthroned, and the Trinity. On the side of the church, a very long visual narrative unfolds, thirty panels with captions in vernacular, which tells the legend of Saint Anthony from his parents' vow at sea to his monastic life and the saint's temptations, while the interior houses a Last Supper and a Crucifixion attributed to Cristoforo II Baschenis.
The Adamello-Brenta Park and the outdoors between Carè Alto and Val Genova
A large part of Pelugo's territory falls within the Adamello-Brenta Natural Park, established in 1967 and, with its over 620 square kilometers, the largest protected area in Trentino. The park encompasses two very different worlds: to the west, the glacial massif of Adamello-Presanella, with over eighty alpine lakes, and to the east, the Dolomite walls of Brenta. From the village, access opens to Val di Borzago, which rises through forests of spruce, larch, and Swiss pine to the foot of the Carè Alto glacier and ideally connects to the trails of Val Genova, famous for its waterfalls. The park is also the realm of the brown bear, reintroduced in 1996 with the Life Ursus project and which has become a symbol of the protected area, along with chamois, deer, roe deer, and golden eagles that inhabit the high-altitude forests and pastures reachable with excursions starting from the surroundings of Pelugo.
The farmsteads, the trails, and the nature around the village
The agricultural landscape of Pelugo is still marked by the masi, ancient rural buildings scattered among meadows and woods that tell of a mountain economy once based on timber processing, silkworm farming for silk production, ironworking, and walnut oil pressing, activities passed down from generation to generation and today documented as part of the village's identity. From these scattered nuclei, paths start and climb through deciduous and coniferous forests towards the higher pastures and alpine masi, offering viewpoints on the Val Rendena and the surrounding peaks. Downstream, along the Sarca river, a cycle-pedestrian path runs, connecting the various municipalities of the valley in a gentle itinerary, suitable for families and cycle tourists, which allows you to discover Pelugo and the neighboring villages by cycling through valley floor vineyards, permanent meadows, and glimpses of the Brenta Dolomites.
History: from the San Zeno hillfort to the present day
The origins of Pelugo are linked to an ancient prehistoric hillfort that stood on the San Zeno hill, where the parish church dedicated to the same saint is located today, a sign of human settlement much earlier than the first documented mention of the village. The history of the municipality has been marked by dramatic events: around 1364 a flood destroyed a large part of the inhabited area, which had to be rebuilt, and on March 4, 1922, a violent fire struck the village again. During Fascism, in 1928, Pelugo was merged with neighboring municipalities as part of policies to reduce local authorities, only to be re-established as an autonomous municipality in 1946. Even today, the village preserves evidence of this past, from the eighteenth-century chapel on Monte Calvario, built in 1743, to the monument to the fallen of the First World War which displays an Austro-Hungarian Škoda cannon recovered from nearby war fronts, to the churches of San Zeno and Sant'Antonio Abate which remain the religious and artistic heart of the community.
Not to be missed
- Church of Sant'Antonio Abate with the Baschenis frescoes, the Saint Christopher and the saint's legend
- Parish church of San Zeno, on the site of the ancient prehistoric hillfort
- A hike into the Val di Borzago toward the Carè Alto glacier
- The eighteenth-century chapel on Monte Calvario (1743)
- The cycling and walking path along the Sarca in the Adamello-Brenta Natural Park
Αξιοθέατα
What to see in Pelugo
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Routes in Pelugo
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