St Giovanni, Ranui. The Dolomites, Italy
Val de Funes, South Tyrol
Karen Menezes on October 1, 2025There is an aura of sanctity in the region of the Dolomites, and every square inch is beautiful. St Giovanni (Chiesa di San Giovanni) is a small church with hand-painted frescoes of the patron saint, St John, and an onion dome the colour of charcoal. It is framed by endless green meadows, forests and the massive, pointed peaks of the Odle mountain group. The backdrop is what makes the rather diminutive church especially stunning.
The area near the church is fenced off, but you can pay a small fee to visit the church and view it only from the outside, since it is closed to the public. Do remember that the church sites on private land.
The best time to visit is in the evening, when the sunset over the Odle mountains is occasionally spectacular. There are a couple of inns nearby, where I stopped for a glass of orange juice and a slice of berry cake.
You will find the church in a small town called Ranui in the Val de Funes region of the Dolomites. If you are staying in Brixen / Bressanone (Austrian / Italian names for the area), try and get your hands on the Brixen card, which gives you unlimited access to buses, trains, several museums, a swimming pool, ice rink and other goodies. You can use the card to travel by bus to get to the town of Ranui.
Credits
Images by Karen Menezes All Rights Reserved.