Our Lady Immaculate of the Miserin oversees the Pastures of Heaven /2

This valley, very important for the profile of cultural history, had been "snubbed" from the point of view of tourism until about forty years ago, being known and preferred destination almost exclusively by vacationers or Sunday's people of Turin City. The new facilities aimed at the ski have completely relaunched and now does not bear comparison with the most famous valleys of the whole Aosta Valley. Although it does not have big mountains or the catchy name like many of the other, "being content" of Mont Glacier (3186m), Mont Delà (3139m) or simply of the opposite Rosa dei Banchi (3164m) on the border with Piedmont Region. Today in Champorcher Valley and surroundings, oasis of peace in unspoiled nature and understanding of the foothills of the more Southern sector in Regional Park of Mount Avic, tourists come not only from all over Italy, but from all over Europe. The Toponimy As for the place names are a Bocon d'Amon, the Mont Delà, the Tower Moussaillon or Moutsaillon, the Peradzà, the Rosa dei Banchi and Col Laris or Arial, The Real which definitely creates curiosity. We would like to translate the name of a mountain pasture, the mountain behind the mountain (Glacier), two unknowns with Peradzà more directed to the patois de Cogne, the Rose of the rocky Banks, where Rosa not signified of Glacier nor of the Rose Flower but rather, in dialect of Aosta Valley little known, "Reiza" or a place very cold. Last but not least the Laris Hill or ancient Salassian name as Arial capable of differentiating their, today "uncertain", road used to enter and occupy Aosta Valley, according to some Historians. While, on the Reale or Royal Lake owes its name to the fact that it is derived from the eponymous pasture, alp wherein the King which whom he had decided to open a mine of argentiferous galena or at least took in turn is named after the King of Sardinia to carry out some "samples" important. Finally, last but not least Miserin that, taken from the Latin as in Cogne Miserino, really miser, that is poor and as such addressed more Soul than to the body ... Now on the Royal Road of King Vittorio "Toio" Emanuele II° go to Dondena, by emilius 2004 Indeed it is perhaps the proximity to Barbustel Refuge, not many years now and built in Champdepraz Valley, adjacent to the North with Champorcher Valley. A vallon, almost a valley, rich in lakes valley that "binds" itself to Miserin Vallon with its Lake and Sanctuary through a long watershed that, starting from the Punta Tersiva (3515m) first separates from Clavalité or Valley Fénis and then from the Champorcher Valley dating back wild until you reachs the Mont Glacier, the highest of the entire area. Across the West or towards Cogne's Valley, is "extinguished" the Gran Paradiso Chain, while in the South the Rosa dei Banchi is the "armed guard" with Piedmont, between the Balma, Rosa Passes and, more to the East, Larìs Hill, this last between Bec de l'Asgelas and the opposite Bec Mollere or Pic Mulère, where in 1799 passed the French Army patrols to encircle the Piedmont behind surprising them with descent to the Orco Valley via Lake of the Royal and those with descent towards the green Valley of Pianprato. Little Great Madonna on entire balconies of the whole Aosta Valley, by Osw 2015 The Sanctuary will stand in front of you cool and quiet and its doors and wooden benches assume a medieval appearance. Far away in time. Waiting to see appear a Friar from the window sash that, looking at you with his head down and with only the chin and mouth coming out of his white cap, invites you with a wave of the hand open to enter. A moment to heat up the fireplace eating something hot. You will not see anyone, and the darkness will fall even further but the road to Dondena is wide and safe. Taken from the rush and despair want to shorten the route and get you on the right fording the Torrent Miserin to fall directly on the path of retreat, passing below the Monte Dondena. Do not do this because it goes well with the light of day; instead follow the wide dirt road that the last light at the horizon make enough suggestive and quietly, even with narrowed eyes, reach Refuge Dondena, "hidden" under a rocky promontory. Here you will open, if it is not already too far from the Autumn and Winter too close to. In any case do not worry, you are very close to Dondena. The lights of a bright morning just above Château-Champorcher Commune and welcome you at la Cort very small Village. where you can see the domination of "Madonna of the Snow". Royal Route by King "Toio" is "virgin" and his immaculate snow. Put on snowshoes and go. You will not find anyone until Dondena, there around the corner. Meanwhile in all this short, but mentally long journey, there will appears the Ghosts of a famous Legend around the lake, perhaps the bluest and azur of the Valley of Aosta, even if it is not the greatest because the Grand Lake is just beyond, hidden behind the pyramids of Mont Glacier and Mont Delà now in the Valley of the Lakes or Champdepraz. Also within the Regional Park of Mount Avic. This attraction persuaded Mr Pantaleone Savin in 1658 to transform an ancient Oratory (perhaps known since the times of St. Porciero and San Besso wandering the Theban Legion and surely already famous for the miracles that occurred during the Plague of 1630) in a Chapel that with time he took on increasing importance, and the same, dedicated to Our Lady of the Snows, became an increasingly popular place of pilgrimage and remembered every year the day of 5 August. In the years 1714 and 1715 took place "terrible" snowfalls that reached 11 meters in height damaging the Chapel and the villagers had to tear down and build the same for a new in 1717, but now in the form of small church with three altars. This allowed to officiate the Mass also by the Parish Priests of the neighboring valleys, a factor which, together with the opening of the road Hunting Reala wanted by Vittorio Emanuele II° or "Re Toio" in 1862 after the unification of Italy (1861) that combine with Champorcher towards Cogne and vice versa through the Champorcher Finestra (Window) and Pontonnet Hill more to the North, he gave a great impetus to the knowledge and the attendance of the Sanctuary Miserin. Then the same will not "belong" more exclusively in Champorcher and to the inhabitants of his valley but also became the "property" of those of Cogne and also of the neighboring municipalities of Pont Bozet nowadays Pontboset, Champdepraz (through the hills of the Croce (Cross) and Lago Bianco (the White Lake ) and Fénis (by means of the hill placed at the end of Clavalité Vallon), as well as the nearby Canavese Valleys in Piedmont Region. For this reason the Church, that now had already 150 years, was demolished and the Abbot Pierre Chanoux, a famous former Parish Priest of Champorcher and then renowned throughout the Valley of Aosta until La Thuile where he performed the duties of Rector of the Hospice of the Little Saint Bernard, he had the idea and made the followed decision with the locals to build a larger Church and adapted to accommodate the ever-growing mass of Pilgrims. In this task it was aided and supported also by the then current Pastor Don Filiberto Noussan with whom he collaborated to also build a shelter with its dormitory placed on two superimposed and existing plans even today. Also hosting some hunter of chamois and ibexes (it was not an offense when authorized by the King) and also the hunting of the same King of Italy (famous ones on Window and Pontonnet Hills completed with small stone walls) and even hikers or explorers mountaineers (from 1848 more and more widespread but not again turned into true climbers). But the main purpose was not in the pleasures of the body, but safeguarding the souls and this religious order always met more success so much so that the old church (22 metres long, 7 wide and 12 in height) was prolonged and extended by more 4 metres to hold a crowd that already recorded as many as 22 Prelates from the Valley of Aosta and from Campiglia Soana with over 5.000 Faithful. The same Vittorio Emanuele II°, first King of Italy rose from Champorcher to Dondena and from this last towards the Miserin Lake to attend the Sunday Mass, during which existed and still exists today the custom of selling the charm of gifts with objects various (usually of the local traditional crafts and tools) with a view to contributing towards the maintenance costs of the Shrine and the adjoining shelter. At the inside of the first it was kept a beautiful picture of "Our Lady of the Snows", as well as a small original statue it. We must use the verb in the imperfect way, since a fire in 1946 had destroyed, along with the Shrine, the one and the other. Faith and Patience of the men have rebuilt once again the Sanctuary Miserin even further enlarging the same with the current sacristy against the apse, in addition to the old Sanctuary. Today you will not find the jokes of the Royal Hunting, because the Miserin is "locked up" between the Gran Paradiso National Park in Southwest towards Cogne Valley and Piedmont and the Regional Park of Monte Avìc immediately to the North of the pyramids beyond Mont Delà, Mont Glacier and long watershed until Bocon d'Amon Cima Piana between Champdepraz Champorcher. But you can find many Hikers and Nature Lovers or of photography, also accompanied by children or elderly people are still looking for some excitement with a nice & safe walk. Explorers have totally disappeared because all mountains have been "looted", but appears, unfortunately, the trial bikes on the rounded back of Mont Rascias ... Echellettes Cascade above Chardonney Hamlet & below Dondena Royal Road, by Osw 2016