This church sits on a hill that acts as a watershed, between Sedico and Socchieva, towards the Piave. The building, situated at the centre of a small hamlet, is fairly large, and in the past was the object of considerable devotion on the part of the local faithful, who used to put their head into the stone niche under the altar on the left side to pray, because the sound that could be heard from this position was said to come from an underground source of water close by. The church was extended in 1632, on top of a previous chapel dating back to the 6th century, and on the outside we can see curtain walls, alterations and decorations that were added. The church was consecrated in 1672, but owes its fame for the most part to the fine artworks that were added in the 19th century, thanks to the Rector Giuseppe Zuliani, who purchased many paintings and ecclesiastical furnishings from the soldiers of Napoleon. Especially interesting are two early Christian plutei set into the outside walls, the seventeenth-century wooden altars, paintings by Francesco Frigimelica and important groups of sculptures and stalls by Andrea Brustolon. Also worth admiring, to the right of the altar, is a rare example of a clothed Madonna, known as “Madonna degli spasmi” and, on the left, above the aedicule containing the relic of the saint, the gilded wooden statue of San Fermo, recently attributed to Matteo Cesa (circa 1500), to which the faithful have long since been devoted and that until 1996 used to be taken out in procession.

From the SS50 road towards Belluno-Feltre, continue until km 14.6; a sacred aedicule on the right and the road signs indicate the neighbourhood of San Fermo.
From the next fork you come to you can reach Villa Gaggia.

ACCESSIBLE: on request
MUNICIPALITY: Belluno
PLACE: San Fermo
GEOGRAPHICAL COORDINATES: X 1739258 – Y 5110990
PROVINCE: Belluno

FILE COMPILED BY: Lonzi

In the surrounding area is Villa Gaggia (24 HAA/IA), set within the thick vegetation of a natural terrace on the hill on the right bank of the Piave and characterised by a fish pond, featuring a little  island planted with flowers, water effects and a large park/garden.

A. M. Spiazzi, Marta Mazza, Andrea Brustolon e la sua bottega. Itinerari in provincia di Belluno, Milan, 2009
A. M. Spiazzi, G. Galasso, R. Bernini, L. Majoli, A nord di Venezia. Scultura e pittura nelle vallate dolomitiche tra Gotico e Rinascimento, file no. 25, Cinisello Balsamo, 2004
A. M. Spiazzi, Le sculture restaurate di Andrea Brustolon nella chiesa dei SS. Fermo e Rustico, Dosson, 1993
G. De Bortoli, A. Moro, F. Vizzutti, Belluno. Storia architettura arte, Belluno, 1984