THE STONE OF SANTO STEFANO
Winter in Alta Valsesia, was once a set of practices for the people who spent long hours between when it was dark and time to go to bed at this time family members and neighbors gathered in front of the fire, and while you adjust the rake of the waiting period of hay, one devoted to the story of small events of everyday life, walking distance of several complaints to the memory of people who have emigrated. All the while overall was occupied by snow and frost, which mitigate any noise falling across the valley in an impenetrable silence.
Legend has it that, in an unspecified past, homes Valmaggia country "parallel" but Cravagliana Grande Valley, during one of these evenings in the winter like many others, the discussion shifted to cover the Saints: More than one entry had reached Valmaggia of travelers who assured as in the City of Cravagliana, neighbors separated only by a mountain were experiencing repeated benefits, which resulted in miraculous events, thanks to the veneration of many saints in the Church Parish Cravagliana of, especially by St. Stephen.
These items did shake the people of Valmaggia a sort of jealousy, as a Valmaggia there were no relics to be venerated as a Cravagliana, thanks to the presence of the parish's oldest ValMastallone, there were, as there were miraculous events linked to them, at least according to rumors quickly spread up to Valmaggia. From these discussions emerged a proposal, that the inhabitants of Valmaggia considered the only possibility to have a saint to worship and from which to get the much-hoped-for benefits: steal the bust of St. Stephen by Cravagliana and carry up to Valmaggia.
Driven by strong motivation a group of people volunteered, heedless of the hardships that the company carried out in the middle of winter could lead to, so it was that one Sunday afternoon, the group reached Cravagliana, through the opening of the Faut (or nozzle Valmaggia) and down in the hamlet of Black Ca , going to church now. After making sure that the parish was deserted, took the bust of St. Stephen, hiding in a cloak, took him outside, going just on the way back.
crossed the Mastallone headed back to the nozzle Valgrande, en route to carry the stolen bust they realized something was very wrong: at each step increased the weight of the statue and the relic soon became impossible to carry. Repeated attempts were useless to proceed with the transport and, notwithstanding the right to tell them what it is improbable that this was happening, they decided to abandon the enterprise, then, after leaving the precious trunk at the foot of a beech tree, they headed Valmaggia, still stunned by the amazing episode. Once in Valmaggia realized for the failed and then a group of skeptics decided to return to retrieve the body, seen that move the statue from the foot of that beech was impossible for a few days many residents of Valmaggia tried it, but no even managed to shake up the Holy one step. Meanwhile, in
Cravagliana Sunday came and the faithful of the villages downstream of the town, go to the Mass, noted in the woods below the nozzle of a beech Valmaggia that while immersed in the white winter coat, looked green and lush and in full spring. This triggered a major surprise in people who had never seen such an image and ran to town to tell and looking for possible explanations. A Cravagliana the parish priest explained to them that such a thing could only be part of a miracle, perhaps yet another miracle of the beloved Santo Stefano convinced of this, the faithful went to church with the intention to pay homage with prayer The Ghost and it was at this moment that they realized the lack of the bust from its altar. After a few moments of confusion, there was organized to search for the statue and, in an attempt to reason about different causes of the disappearance, more than one person had the idea of \u200b\u200bconnecting with the disappearance of the inexplicable appearance of beech in full fogliatura. So many people left, almost in a procession, with the intention to reach the beech reached its destination was enormous joy to find, at the foot of the beech, the beloved statue in perfect condition, then drove in procession to return to Church of Santo Stefano Cravagliana the bust, that from that day was even more loved and revered by cravaglianesi whose deeds and enriched the voices of the country up to become a legend and come down to us.
The stone is a stone of St. Stephen's, located in a forest between the village and Canera Valmaggia nozzle, which was resting on the statue of Saint Stephen and that shows his imprint. The stone is where the legend indicates the presence of the beech tree that has contributed to the discovery of the relic.
The legend is reproduced in a fresco found in a chapel dedicated to St. Stephen's, located on the edge of the road at the former Provincial Poli factory, shortly before arriving at Cravagliana depicting the beech green surrounded by frost and procession of people of Cravagliana towards it in search of the precious statue.
Under an image of Santo Stefano ( here you can find the official story of the Holy Martyr), whose bust can be seen in the Parish Church of Cravagliana.
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