Description

Every year, on the second Sunday after Corpus Christi, the traditional Sacred Heart mountain fires light up the mountains of South Tyrol. The custom dates back to the Sacred Heart Vow of 1796. At the time, Napoleon’s troops were advancing towards Tyrol from Northern Italy. At the suggestion of the abbot of Stams, the people of Tyrol entrusted their land and their poorly trained soldiers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and prayed for divine protection. They vowed to renew their promise every year if they were victorious. The Tyrolean troops succeeded in defeating the French. The vow has been renewed on Sacred Heart Sunday ever since, and the tradition continues today.

To mark the occasion, Tyrolean flags are flown at the farmhouses. At dusk, a drive through the Gsiesertal Valley is well worth taking: crosses, hearts, other Christian symbols and words glow on the mountainsides. Lines of lights trace the mountain ridges. There is plenty to see in the valley, too: illuminated hearts, crosses and carefully crafted window displays brighten houses and old farmhouses, while candles adorn the balconies. Sacred Heart fires are also lit in the fields.