The church is in the charming village of Senale, at an altitude of 1,342 m, just over the “border” in the region of South Tirol, 5 km from Passo Palade.
It is also known by its German name of Unsere Liebe Frau im Walde (Our Lady of the Forest). Since the 12th century, it has been a celebrated place of pilgrimage and on the public holiday of 15 August the population escorts a statute of the Madonna from Dovena to Senale.
The first mention of it dates back to 1194 as a hotel for pilgrims crossing Passo Palade and then in 1224 as Augustinian convent. From the outside, the church looks simple but, once inside, you are greeted with a magnificent altars and a wealth of art, in a Gothic style with finely carved Baroque altars and the image of the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Senale. The miraculous image of the “Madonna of the Forest” stands out in the centre, dating back to around 1430, in a golden niche above the main altar. The current organ was built in 1868, using parts of the previous one dating back to 1668.
Mass is celebrated here in German, however from July to mid-September an Italian language mass is also celebrated on Sundays.
