Sanctuary of Montevergine

Last updated

Basilica santuario cattedrale abbazia territoriale di Santa Maria di Montevergine
Montevergine 1.jpg
External facade of the cathedral basilica
Religion
Affiliation Catholicism
District Mercogliano
Region Campania
Year consecrated 1961
Location
StateITA
Architecture
Architect(s) Giacomo Conforti and Florestano Di Fausto (new basilica)
Style Neoromanesque (new basilica)
Date established1952 (new basilica)
Completed1961 (new basilica)
Website
www.santuariodimontevergine.com

Sanctuary of Montevergine is a Marian church in Mercogliano, located in the hamlet of Montevergine. It's a part of the Territorial Abbey of Montevergine, one of the six Italian territorial abbeys. Inside, the painting of the Madonna di Montevergine is venerated and it is estimated that about one and a half million pilgrims visit it every year. [1]

Contents

History

Statue of William Montevergine 16.jpg
Statue of William

The history of the sanctuary of Montevergine is closely linked to the figure of William of Montevergine, a hermit monk who lived between the 11th and 12th centuries, awho took pilgrimages to places of Christianity. [2] Returning to Italy after a long journey to Santiago de Compostela, he decided to undertake a new pilgrimage to Jerusalem and to prepare himself spiritually he took refuge at Mount Serico, in Atella, where he is the protagonist of the healing of a blind man. [3] Resuming the journey towards the holy land, he arrives in Ginosa, meeting with John of Matera, who advises him to give up the pilgrimage and to work for the divine service in the lands of the West: William refuses the advice of the saint and continues with his I walk until he is beaten up by a group of brigands. [4] Remembering John's words and after a long spiritual reflection, he understands the new path to follow, that is to retire in solitude and devote himself to meditation. [2] Arriving in Irpinia, he feels that God's will is to make him reside on a mountain, known today as Partenio, at an altitude of over a thousand meters. [5]

The bell tower Montevergine 3.jpg
The bell tower

Over time, William's reputation for holiness increased more and more, so much so that men eager to embrace a lifestyle dedicated to prayer and solitude began to arrive spontaneously on the mountain. [4] In a short time numerous cells, mostly made with mud and mortar, housed numerous monks. At the same time it was also decided to build a church, consecrated in 1126, dedicated to the Madonna, but, contrary to what is often told, no apparitions occurred: [2] William only followed his deep devotion to the Virgin Mary. Soon the monks of Montevergine gathered in a congregation calledVerginiana, [2] officially recognized on 8 August 1879 by Pope Leo XIII: over the centuries the congregation has carried out both evangelization service, even using the local dialect to reach the lowest classes of society, and care for the sick, with the construction of numerous hospitals in Campania and in the rest of southern Italy. After the death of St. William in 1142, [4] the sanctuary reached its heyday between the 12th and 14th centuries, when it was enriched with numerous works of art and expanded considerably thanks to the offerings of feudal lords, popes and kings: [2] it was in this period that the painting of the Madonna was donated, now venerated in the cathedral basilica, but also numerous relics, including the bones of San Gennaro, which were then transferred to the cathedral of Naples in 1497. [1]

Between 1378 and 1588 the sanctuary of Montevergine experienced a profound crisis both from a spiritual and economic point of view, accentuated by a commendation of 1430, which assigned the offerings made for the abbey to men without any Christian interest. From 1588 until the beginning of the 19th century, monastic life was fairly peaceful, although in 1611 the guesthouse was seriously damaged by a fire and in 1629 the central nave of the church collapsed; [2] from 1807, the year in which the body of William of Montevergine was moved from the abbey of Goleto to Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi in Montevergine, to 1861 a new period of crisis seriously endangered the life of the congregation itself: on 28 May 1868 the council of state decreed that the abbeys should not be subject to any type of economic suppression and therefore all the assets confiscated in the previous years were returned again; [2] in the same year the sanctuary was declared a national monument, [6] while in 1884 the meteorological station of Montevergine was inaugurated [7]

At the beginning of the twentieth century the situation improved considerably and the sanctuary enjoyed the ancient fame, becoming one of the most visited in Southern Italy; During the Second World War, precisely from 1939 to 1946, it secretly hosted the Shroud of Turin, [8] not only to protect it from the bombings but also to hide it in the event that Adolf Hitler would want to take possession of it. [9] On 8 April 1944, the Sanctuary received the visit of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy who resided in Ravello, who came to thank the sanctuary for the custody of the Shroud and other treasures owned by the House of Savoy. [10]

Remarkable changes made in this period include the renovation of the Forestry, the Monastery and the ancient basilica, the opening in 1956 of the funicular that connects the center of Mercogliano to the sanctuary in just 7 minutes, [11] the inauguration of the new basilica, designed by Florestano Di Fausto, in 1961, [12] on whose main altar the picture of the Madonna was placed. By architectural criteria, it is a pseudobasilica. Also in the 1960s, the crypt, which contains the remains of San Guglielmo, the Ex-voto room and a museum, were reorganized according to modern standards only in 2000, which collects the numerous archaeological finds or jewels and works of art brought by pilgrims, dates back. or found around the sanctuary; In fact, a temple stood in the Roman era in the Roman area [3] dedicated to Cybele. [13] [14] In addition to the complex that stands on Mount Partenio, the Abbatial Palace of Loreto also belongs to the Sanctuary, [15] located in the center of Mercogliano. Inside there is a pharmacy dating back to 1753 [6] and a library. [16] On 25 June 2012, after an accurate restoration, the painting of the Madonna was again placed inside the ancient basilica, in the chapel dedicated to the Crucifix. [17]

Structure

Cathedral basilica

The inside of the basilica Montevergine 4.jpg
The inside of the basilica
The unnailed crucifix Crocifisso schiodato.jpg
The unnailed crucifix

The construction works of the cathedral basilica began in 1952, ending in 1961 with the solemn consecration on Ascension Day: the basilica is the work of the architect Florestano Di Fausto. [12] The facade, divided into three compartments where the same number of entrances open, is covered in white stone and in the center there is a rose window decorated with polychrome glass depicting the coronation of the Virgin.

Inside there are no particular notable elements, it has a neo-Romanesque style and is made up of three naves, one central and two lateral ones divided by five arches on both sides: at the bottom of the two lateral naves there are two matronea which host the organ. The main altar is enclosed by a wooden choir made of walnut and olive briar, while at the back there is a marble throne where the painting of the Madonna di Montevergine was placed, later replaced by a crucifix without nails: the frame that previously housed the painting it is surrounded by two marble angels who seem to support it; the altar is completed with polychrome marble, bronze bas-reliefs and a mosaic, the work of Hainal. [12]

The ceiling is coffered with pure gold coffering, [11] while the flooring is semi-polished granite. The windows of the dome are adorned with stained glass windows representing Angels created by Amalia Panigati, who was also responsible for the crosses in the matronea symbolizing the Evangelists. [18] From the left nave there is access to a sort of side chapel called the Penitentiary, while at the bottom of the right nave there is access to the old basilica via a Gothic style portal, dating back to the 13th century, whose tympanum is decorated with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and Holy Mary during the first Christian Pentecost. [12]

Near the new basilica there is the bell tower, inaugurated in 1925, although part of the facade had already been completed in 1901: approximately 80 meters high and covered in white and gray granite, the lower part is in Ionic style with three arches decorated with columns, while the upper part, where the papal loggia is also located, protected by a marble parapet, is in Corinthian style; internally it is divided into five floors and on the external walls there are some decorations such as trumpeter angels and a marble depiction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, six meters high. [19]

Matronea host a pipe organ, Mascioni opus 1042, [20] constructed in 1981. The instrument, with electric transmission, has three keyboards of 61 notes each and a concave-radial pedal board of 32 notes.

The old basilica

The old basilica Montevergine 8.jpg
The old basilica

Nothing remains of the ancient basilica, dating back to 1126, built first in Romanesque style, [1] and remodeled in Gothic style: it collapsed in 1629, and was rebuilt in 1645 based on a design by the architect Giacomo Conforti. The entrance to the church starts with a large corner staircase which leads directly into the courtyard of the monastery and is surmounted by an iron portal, the work of the De Lamorte foundry of Naples, [21] realized in 1885, in Gothic style: past the entrance one enters a covered atrium, and then enters directly into the templeThe church has a single nave, paved in marble and is delimited on each side by three large arches, a sign of the past side aisles, now closed; in the ancient basilica there are six marble plaques which respectively recall the history of the sanctuary, thanks to Leo XIII, the visits of Umberto I, the pilgrimage of Vittorio Emanuele III on 28 August 1936, the restoration of the diocese of Montevergine and to Francesco I. [21]

The main altar is adorned with tarsi of the Neapolitan school, which include "typical elements of Arab art": in the central part there is the marble statue of the Madonna delle Grazie, while on its sides the statues, also in marble, of Saint William and Saint Benedict; [22] another noteworthy craftsmanship are the angel-like candelabras, dating back to 1888 and made to replace the original wooden ones. Behind the altar is the walnut wood choir, created by Benvenuto Tortelli in 1573 and characterized by small columns, putti inlaid on the armrests and the Angel with the aspergillum under the central kneeler; [23] The church is closed by an organ by Vincenzo Benvenuti built in 1896. [24]

Madonna's chapel Cappella della Madonna di Montevergine.jpg
Madonna's chapel

On the right side there is a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, inside which there is a canopy dating back to the 13th century, in Romanesque style, with Cosmatesque inlays, a gift from Mary of Hungary or her son Charles Martel: four marble lions support the four columns decorated with an alternation of white and red which symbolically depict the four tributaries of the Danube; on the architrave, in addition to two statues holding the thurible and the aspergillum, eight other small columns support the dome. Under the canopy, the case decorated with angels supporting the ciborium, the work of Luigi III De Capua and dating back to the end of the 15th century. [25] Inside the chapel there is also a pipe organ, built at the end of the 19th century by Zeno Fedeli; [26] with mixed transmission, mechanical for the manuals and the pedal, pneumatic-tubular for the registers, it has a single 56-note keyboard and a straight 27-note pedal board without its own registers.

Another chapel was built around the 13th century by Philip I of Anjou: originally it housed the painting of the Madonna, until 25 November 1960, when the painting was moved to the Cathedral Basilica and the chapel was converted to the cult of the Crucifix; however, on 25 June 2012, it returned to host the effigy of the Virgin. The altar of the chapel dates back to 1628 and is surmounted by two columns, in the center of which was placed an 18th-century crucifix, later replaced by the panel of the Madonna; on the sides of the columns the depictions of Matthew and Luke. The vault is decorated with paintings by Vincenzo Volpe, depicting the Child Mary, the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception: other paintings by the same author on the right side of the chapel including the Apparition of the Savior to San Guglielmo; also of fine workmanship is the funeral monument of Catherine II of Valois, wife of Philip of Anjou and her two children Louis and Maria. [27] Among the other works in the chapel are a marble niche where the remains of Abbot Guglielmo De Cesare are kept, depictions of Saint Bernard, Saint Anselm and a canvas of the Nativity. [28]

Another chapel is that of the Schiodazione (lit. untacking), so called due to the original presence of a 17th-century canvas by Rubens, which was lost following its replacement with a 19th-century one by Serbucci. [28]

On the external square there is the chapel of the Torrione, so called because it is similar to a tower, whose façade was built towards the end of the 19th century based on a design by the architect Carmine Biancardi: it is accessed via a staircase, which if done on ones knees, allows to obtain a partial indulgence; inside is a half-bust of the Redeemer dating back to 1899. [28]

Saint William crypt and ex-voto room

Saint William crypt GuglielmoMontevergine.jpg
Saint William crypt

The crypt of William of Montevergine was consecrated in 1963 and is divided into three naves: in the central one, under the main altar, the sarcophagus with the remains of the saint is placed and decorated with salient scenes of his earthly existence.In the lateral naves eight chapels open, four on each side, dedicated to the saints, respectively: Pope Eleutherius and Saint Antia, Juliana of Nicomedia and Fausta of Cyzicus, Constantius of Perugia and Saint Deodato, Barbatus of Benevento and Saint Massimo, Saint Jason and Maurus, Saint Mercurius and Potitus, Saint Ermolao and Saint Modesto, Saint Vittore and Priscus of Nocera. In the crypts, collected in urns and placed on the walls, are the relics collected over the years in the Montevergine sanctuary. [29]

In 1961, the year in which the new basilica was inaugurated, a room was also built to accommodate the numerous Ex-votos brought by the pilgrims and which were collected, until the year before, near the painting of the Madonna. Near the room, the body of Blessed Giulio, Monaco of Montevergine, so called by believers but still not recognized by the church: the particularity of his body, kept in a bronze urn, is also placed, is to be still in a good one condition without any treatment from his death, which took place in 1601, [11] and to whom numerous miracles were attributed. [30]

Worship and pilgrimage

The access stairway to the ancient basilica Montevergine 12.jpg
The access stairway to the ancient basilica

Pilgrimages to Montevergine are a deeply rooted tradition not only in Campania, but also throughout the rest of southern Italy: the first evidence of ascents to Mount Partenio already dates back to the time of William of Montevergine when small communities of people came to the church especially to get to know the virtuous saint; A document from 1139 says of pilgrimages that they invoke divine grace and on 12 September 1263, Pope Urban IV, affirmed how the area of Montevergine had become an important center of prayer. [31] The constant flow of pilgrims over the years led to benefits trickling down to local communities, so much so that numerous hostels were built in the area: today this place takes the name of Ospedaletto d'Alpinolo, deriving precisely from the high number of reception centers. [31]

The pilgrimages in the past were carried out both in a carriage and with a cart, on horseback or on foot, [32] they were characterized by fasting or abstinence from meat, eggs and cheese; another tradition had it that unmarried women or girls who went on pilgrimage intertwined broom branches during the climb towards the mountain, promising the Madonna to return the following year and to untie the knot in the company of the groom or even that very young girls went barefoot to the sanctuary on behalf of third parties to thank the Virgin for the grace received. During the descent, the men used to perform a chariot race, called recanata, while the women sang popular songs. [31]

Another festivity felt in the cult of the Madonna di Montevergine, a Black Madonna also called Mamma Schiavona ("Slave Mama"), [11] [33] is the one of Candlemas: [34] it is said that in 1252, [35] during a blizzard, two male lovers had been discovered and left tied to a tree on the mountain to freeze to death: through the intercession of the Virgin, a sudden ray of sunshine struck the ice, melting it and saving the lovers. [34] Every year, on the occasion of 12 September (Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and 2 February (Candlemas), [35] gays, lesbians and trans people pay homage to Mamma Schiavona with a pilgrimage to the sanctuary, called juta dei femminielli , [34] [36] to then participate, together with the other pilgrims, in the dances, above all tammorriate  [ it ], [34] taking place in the square in front. The tradition of juta dei femminielli can be traced back to at least 1611, when following a fire in the church, some of over 400 bodies found were men in women's clothes and women in men's clothes. [35] The link between femminielli and Montevergine may be tied to the place's earlier identity as the temple of Cybele, goddess worshipped by eunuch Galli priests. [13] [33]

Since the mid-nineteenth century, [37] the sanctuary of Montevergine has also been associated with the sale of nougats, hazelnuts and wicker baskets made on site. [38]

Note

  1. 1 2 3 "Il campanile della basilica" . Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Le origini del santuario". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  3. 1 2 "Il santuario di Montevergine e Mercogliano" . Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "La vita di San Guglielmo da Vercelli". Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  5. ↑ "Informazioni sul santuario di Montevergine a Mercogliano". Archived from the original on 29 January 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  6. 1 2 "La farmacia del palazzo abbaziale di Loreto". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  7. ↑ "La stazione meteorologica di Montevergine". Mvobsv.org. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "La sacra Sindone a Montevergine". Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  9. ↑ Mario Baudino (7 April 2010). "Quando la Sindone beffò Hitler". La Stampa . Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  10. ↑ Puntoni 1993, p. 220.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Il santuario della Mamma Schiavona" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 24 July 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "La basilica cattedrale". Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  13. 1 2 Dama, Francesco (14 May 2022). "Femminelle: On the Trails of Naples's Ancient Genderqueer Community". Italy Segreta. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  14. ↑ Bourcard 1853, p. 130-131.
  15. ↑ "Il palazzo abbaziale di Loreto". Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  16. ↑ "La biblioteca del palazzo abbaziale di Loreto". Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  17. ↑ "Il restauro del quadro". Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  18. ↑ A. Polidoro, Di Fausto architetto e politico, in “Corriere (dell'Irpinia)”, a. XI, n. 57, 27 febbraio 2011, p. 26.
  19. ↑ "Il campanile della basilica". Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  20. ↑ "L'organo Mascioni della basilica cattedrale" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  21. 1 2 "La basilica antica". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  22. ↑ "L'altare maggiore della basilica antica". Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  23. ↑ "Il coro della basilica antica". Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  24. ↑ "L'organo della basilica antica". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  25. ↑ "Il baldacchino della basilica antica". Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  26. ↑ "L'organo Fedeli della cappella del Santissimo Sacramento" . Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  27. ↑ "Montevergine: guida-cenni" . Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  28. 1 2 3 "Le cappelle dalla basilica antica". Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  29. ↑ "La cripta di San Guglielmo". Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  30. ↑ "La sala ex voto". Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  31. 1 2 3 "I pellegrinaggi a Montevergine". Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  32. ↑ Bourcard 1853, p. 132.
  33. 1 2 Howard, Annabel. "Gay Madonnas in Montevergine: The Feast of Mamma Schiavona". The White Review. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  34. 1 2 3 4 "La festa della Candelora". Archived from the original on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  35. 1 2 3 Tartaro, Ambra. "Candelora di Montevergine: la tradizionale Juta dei Femminielli". Info Irpinia (in Italian). Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  36. ↑ "Il santuario di Montevergine alla Candelora accoglie gay, lesbiche, trans". Aleteia.org – Italiano (in Italian). Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  37. ↑ Bourcard 1853, p. 133.
  38. ↑ "Il torrone di Montevergine" . Retrieved 19 May 2011.

Bibliography

40°56′10″N14°43′43″E / 40.9362°N 14.7285°E / 40.9362; 14.7285

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Madonna</span> Artistic depiction of the Virgin Mary and Jesus

The term Black Madonna or Black Virgin tends to refer to statues or paintings in Western Christendom of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus, where both figures are depicted with dark skin. Examples of the Black Madonna can be found both in Catholic and Orthodox countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo</span> Roman Catholic sanctuary on Mount Gargano, Apulia, Italy

The Sanctuary of Saint Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic shrine on Mount Gargano, Italy, part of the commune of Monte Sant'Angelo, in the province of Foggia, northern Apulia. It has the dignity of a minor basilica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Maria della Salute</span> Church in Venice, Italy

Santa Maria della Salute, commonly known simply as La Salute, is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica located at the Punta della Dogana in the Dorsoduro sestiere of the city of Venice, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Sebastiano fuori le mura</span> Church in Rome, Italy

San Sebastiano fuori le mura, or San Sebastiano ad Catacumbas, is a minor basilica in Rome, Central Italy. Up to the Great Jubilee of 2000, San Sebastiano was one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome, and many pilgrims still favour the traditional list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acquafondata</span> Comune in Lazio, Italy

Acquafondata is a comune (municipality) in the province of Frosinone, in the Italian region of Lazio, located in the Monti della Meta area, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) southeast of Rome and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of Frosinone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino</span> Church in Tolentino, Marche, Italy

The Basilica of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica that is part of the Augustinian monastery in the hill-town of Tolentino, province of Macerata, Marche, central Italy. The church is a former cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tolentino, suppressed in 1586.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Maria delle Vigne</span>

Santa Maria delle Vigne is a Roman Catholic basilica church in Genoa, Italy. It was built in the 10th century. The main altar was completed in 1730 by Giacomo Antonio Ponsonelli. The church is also the final resting place of the leading early Italian composer Alessandro Stradella, who was murdered in 1682.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Maria delle Grazie, Brescia</span> Church building in Brescia, Italy

The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Brescia is located on at the west end of Via Elia Capriolo, where it intersects with the Via delle Grazie. Built in the 16th century and remodeled in the 17th century, it still retains much of its artwork by major regional artists, including one of its three canvases by Moretto. The other two are now held at the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo. The interior is richly decorated in Baroque fashion. Adjacent to the church is the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie, a neo-gothic work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Margherita, Cortona</span> Basilica in Cortona, Italy

Basilica of Santa Margherita is a neo-Gothic style, Roman Catholic church, located just outside the Tuscan town of Cortona, Italy, at the intersection of Via delle Santucce and Via Sant Margherita, on a hill just below the Fortezza Medicea, and dedicated to a native saint of the town, Margaret of Cortona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary of Madonna dei Miracoli</span> Church building in Alcamo, Italy

The Sanctuary of Madonna dei Miracoli is a church in Alcamo, province of Trapani, Sicily, southern Italy; it is dedicated to the Madonna of the Miracles.

The Sacro Monte di Graglia is one of the numerous devotional places around the Italian Alps and it houses the Santuario di Nostra Signora di Loreto, one of the four major sanctuaries of the Biellese territory. Set in the Valle Elvo at 690 m on the sea level, the sanctuary is built near the Lauretana water industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of Santa Maria della Quercia, Viterbo</span>

The Basilica of Santa Maria della Quercia is a Renaissance-style, Roman Catholic sanctuary church and minor basilica, about two kilometer outside of the center of Viterbo, on the road to Bagnaia, in the Region of Lazio, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Maria del Rosario, Alcamo</span> Church building in Alcamo, Italy

Santa Maria del Rosario is a Catholic church in Alcamo, in the province of Trapani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary of Maria Santissima dell'Alto</span> Church building in Alcamo, Italy

The Sanctuary of the Most Holy Mary of the Height is a place of Marian devotion, located on the top of Mount Bonifato, in Alcamo in the province of Trapani, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santuario di Maria Santissima di Custonaci</span>

The Sanctuary of Maria Santissima di Custonaci is a Catholic Church located in the town centre of Custonaci dedicated to Mary. Madonna of Custonaci is the patroness and guardian of the communes of agro Erice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary of the Madonna of Miracles (Corbetta)</span>

The Sanctuary of Madonna of Miracles is a Roman Catholic Marian sanctuary located in Corbetta, province of Milan, Lombardy, Italy. The sanctuary is dedicated to the Madonna of the Miracles, whose miraculous frescoed image, known as Madonna di Corbetta, was declared in 1955 to be the patron of the Magentino area in 1955 by the then archbishop of Milan and future pope Paul VI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary of San Gerardo Maiella</span> Church in Campania, Italy

The Sanctuary of San Gerardo Maiella, co-located with the Basilica of Santa Maria Mater Domini, is a Roman Catholic church and monastery complex in Materdomini, a frazione of Caposele in the Province of Avellino and the Campania region of Italy. The newer sanctuary is a shrine to Saint Gerard Majella, while the older church is dedicated in the name of Santa Maria Mater Domini and holds the ecclesiastical rank of minor basilica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary of the Madonna di Pietraquaria</span> Italian church in Avezzano

The Sanctuary of the Madonna di Pietraquaria is a church situated on Mount Salviano at about 1,000 metres ASL in the municipal territory of Avezzano, Abruzzo, Central Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary of Madonna del Ponte</span>

The sanctuary of Madonna del Ponte is located on the SP 63, in the territory of Partinico (Palermo), 3 or 4 km from the junction of Balestrate of the A29 motorway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Trieste</span> Church in Trieste, Italy

The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, better known as the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and also known as the Baroque church of the Jesuits, is a religious building located in Trieste, in the province and diocese of Trieste; it is the seat of a parish included in the deanery of San Giusto Martire.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.