The Pagnoca Trail n. 1061 is a path of historical and natural significance, starting in Montaner, a town in the municipality of Sarmede. This trail follows exactly the route taken by the Vittorio Veneto brigades on March 27, 1944, led by their commander known as “Pagnoca,” and it reaches the Cansiglio plateau. The trail begins near the parish church of San Pancrazio and ends at Col Alt, with a walking time of about 2.5 hours over a distance of 6 km.
The History: On March 26, 1944, two individuals, posing as people in need, arrived at the rectory doors in Montaner, Sarmede, where they were welcomed by the parish priest, Father Giuseppe Faè. The priest, beloved by the locals and reputed to possess healing and miraculous powers, offered them shelter out of charity. In reality, these two men were fascist spies sent to investigate the rumored existence of an underground anti-fascist organization, which had indeed been founded by the priest himself along with Giovan Battista Bitto, known as “Pagnoca”: the Vittorio Veneto Brigade. This partisan and anti-fascist group gathered all the young men from the foothill areas, extending to Cansiglio and the Alpago region, and later became part of the Garibaldi Brigade, with around 2,000 men under its command.
That day, Father Faè told the two men about the anti-fascist organization, which was recruiting men, sabotaging infrastructure, and preparing for partisan resistance. In the afternoon, the two spies disappeared and returned on March 27 with reinforcements from the National Republican Guard to capture the priest and his sister Giovanna. Both were tried and sentenced to death. Giovanna was sent to a concentration camp, probably Dachau, where she did not survive, while Father Faè was spared by the bishop and was confined for a period to the seminary in Vittorio Veneto.
On the evening of March 27, following the arrest of Father Giuseppe Faè, who had been a key figure for the brigades, Pagnoca and his men decided to settle in Cansiglio, from where they operated as partisans, forming one of the most important partisan groups in the region. Today, the small square next to the church is dedicated to the beloved priest and his sister Giovanna. The local elementary school is also named after Giovanna, and a large fresco on the exterior of the civic library commemorates her.
© Marcadoc editorial team | 09/08/2024
