On Saturday, August 22, the Dames and Knights of the Delegations of the Dynastic Orders of the House of Savoy of the Aosta Valley, Savoy, and Switzerland gathered at the Great St. Bernard Hospice, the authentic crossroads of the Alpine Delegations.

Now on its tenth anniversary, this day of pilgrimage in the footsteps of HRH Prince Victor Emmanuel of Savoy commemorates 8 September 1943. On that dramatic day, the young Prince, accompanied by his mother, Queen Maria José, then Princess of Piedmont, and his sisters, found refuge in Switzerland so as not to fall into the hands of the German troops who were invading Italy.

The day opened with an Holy Mass celebrated by Monsignor Jean-Pierre Voutaz, Provost of the Great St. Bernard, in the presence of HE Nicolas Gagnebin, Grand Treasurer of the Dynastic Orders, and about 40 Dames and Knights.

The celebration took place in the beautiful church of the Hospice, which for its extraordinary beauty has been called by some the “Sistine Chapel of the Alps”. In this place rich in history and spirituality, the celebration represented a particularly significant moment of prayer and recollection for all participants.

At the end of Holy Mass, during the aperitif, the Delegate for Switzerland offered a precious Gospel Book from 1762, as a testimony to the deep ties that for over eight hundred years have united the House of Savoy to the Hospice of the Great St. Bernard.

Monsignor Voutaz then presented to the participants some of the treasures kept in the discreet and precious library of the Hospice, in which the ancient Evangeliary was also placed, destined to become part of the historical and cultural heritage of the Great St. Bernard community.

The day continued with a festive lunch at the Hospice hotel, which offered to the Dames and Knights and their families an additional moment of conviviality and fraternity.

In the afternoon, Mgr. Voutaz guided the Knights on a visit to the Hospice Museum, where they discovered the ancient history of the Great St Bernard Pass and learned more about its enduring role, over the centuries, as a vital crossing point and place of welcome in the Alps.

Particular attention was also devoted to the famous St Bernard dogs, enduring symbols of the Hospice and its long-standing tradition of rescue and hospitality. The visit continued with an interesting exhibition dedicated to the canons who were also artists, offering a further insight into the rich cultural heritage of the Hospice.

During the day, an offer was also collected to support the hospitality activities of the Great St. Bernard Hospice, concretely confirming the spirit of solidarity that animates this annual event.

The gathering at the Great St Bernard was marked by faith, remembrance and fellowship, bringing together the Delegations of the Dynastic Orders of the House of Savoy from the Aosta Valley, Savoy and Switzerland at a place of profound historical significance for the House of Savoy.oy.

The pilgrimage has now become an established annual tradition, bringing together spiritual devotion, the preservation of historical memory and support for the Hospice, which for centuries has upheld an exceptional tradition of hospitality in the heart of the Alps.