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LORENZAGO DI CADORE |
  
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| The history of Lorenzago , whose name derives from the Latin proper name Laurentius with the addition of a praedial suffix, is linked to that of the nearby Mauria Pass, through which ran the main road from the Veneto to the Friuli since the Neolithic Age and which was the scene of many battles between the brave Cadore people and the Austrians (1848). In his ode "Cadore", Giosuè Carducci describes Lorenzago as "sunny"; it is a fitting portrayal of this small town of less than 700 inhabitants, reclining on the green plateau overlooking the lake of Centro Cadore and the confluence of the Mauria and Piave rivers. With such great, sunny position, serene meadows and woods, and an abundance of fresh air, non wonder Lorenzago has become the preferred summer resort of Pope John Paul II . The township was created by integrating the communities of Villapiccola and Villagrande. Towards the end of the Middle Ages it comprised two additional rural settlements, Chiasatte and Miandre, which no longer exist. In July 1855 a terrible fire destroyed 57 wooden houses, leaving 300 residents homeless. Villagrande was then rebuilt according to architect Giuseppe Segusini's town-plan which followed the model of Turin. Most prominent among the town monuments are the 18th-century parish church (with a Cesare Vecellio painting in the choir); the 16th-century Tremonti House; and the small church of the Madonna della Difesa, rebuilt in 1841 in place of an older church of which remains the 1525 predella of the altar by Nicolò da Brunico. Lorenzago is a perfect base for numerous hikes in the area, for example to the Mauria Pass (1,295m), a beautiful, rolling wide grassy pass with a winding road running through thick coniferous trees and dominated by the Cridola mountain range. According to legend, the water flowing down the Cridola contains special substances which make the Lorenzago people a bit eccentric.
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