Santa Giustina Hermitage is built into a natural cave on the eastern wall of the Santa Giustina canyon. It is an extraordinary sight: the ancient stone walls of the building are now ruined and blend into the rocky walls of the dizzying overhang above. The origins of this refuge are thought to date back to ancient times, although there is no definite record of its existence prior to the 16th century. However, if the legend is to be believed, the place has been inhabited since the 10th century by a monk called Secondo from Trento. A centuries-old place of pilgrimage for individuals and processions, the hermitage was abandoned during the 18th century and fell into disrepair.
There is a nice walk down to the hermitage from Tassullo, climbing back up the other side of the gorge to the Santa Giustina dam and returning to Tassullo.
The Santa Giustina gorge is also a Trentino nature reserve, a protected haven for the wealth of flora and fauna in this particular area. As they become increasingly rare over time due to the way people have shaped the land, the conservation of these environments takes on greater importance in order to maintain the diversity of the natural world.
More information can be found here about the Santa Giustina gorge nature reserve.
