Rochemelon pilgrim

Name: Rochemelon pilgrim
Start: 2027-08-05T00:00:00+0000
End: 2028-08-05T00:00:00+0000
Location: Rochemelon

Bessans

© Rochemelon or Rocciamelon in Italian - Gaijin

Every August 5, French and Italian pilgrims gather at the summit of Rochemelon, at 3,538 meters, for a Mass celebrated at 10 a.m. They set out from Bessans around midnight to begin their ascent, following in the footsteps of a history dating back more than six centuries.

Description

A Franco-Italian Pilgrimage at an Altitude of 3,538 Meters

Every August 5, on the feast day of Our Lady of the Snows, Rochemelon brings together French and Italian pilgrims and mountaineers for an extraordinary gathering. From Bessans, participants set out around midnight or 1 a.m. to reach the summit in time for the 10 a.m. Mass, alongside pilgrims who have climbed up from the Susa Valley.

Rising to 3,538 meters, the Rochemelon has been a peak steeped in history and spirituality for centuries. On September 1, 1358, Bonifacio Rotario d’Asti climbed it to place a triptych depicting the Virgin Mary there, fulfilling a vow he had made after his captivity in the East during the Crusades. This ascent is now considered by some historians to be the first documented ascent of an Alpine peak, well before the birth of modern mountaineering.

The Rochemelon Triptych, dated 1358, is still preserved today at the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art in Susa, where it is one of the major pieces in the collection.

At the summit of Rochemelon there is also a chapel and an imposing statue of the Virgin Mary, erected in the late 19th century. Rochemelon thus remains a major pilgrimage site in the Alps, straddling both sides of the mountain.

This ascent is reserved for very experienced hikers, given the altitude, the elevation gain, the nighttime start, and the high-mountain nature of the route.