Monasteries all around the world happen to be built into probably the most precarious of locations – favorites are often in cliffs such as the famous Taktsang Monastery in Nepal (that's impossibly perched on a sheer cliff) or the Fanjingshan temples of China (perched high on sheer vertical columns). Italy isn't any exception.
The Santuario Madonna della Corona (or Sanctuary of the Lady from the Crown in English) is perched around 2,000 feet or 774 meters above sea level into a vertical cliff face within the northern Italian Alps. The sanctuary is made on the thin rock shelf that one can only reach by a thin path from below or perhaps a street from above.
Background and Background Of The Santuario Madonna della Corona
There are a few medieval documents that testify that hermits lived within the Baldo area already around the year 1000. Tradition has it that the shrine itself dates from 1522. Legend has it that the venerated shrine was miraculously transported through angelic intervention in the island of Rhodes following the island was invaded by the Muslim army of Suliman II.
- Legends: There Are Legends About its Holy Shrine
The church was built-in 1530 also it was originally a hermitage for holy men to remove themselves from the world and seek solitude and silent reflection. It soon attracted pilgrims and also the main chapel was enlarged over the centuries.
While most of the famous monasteries in Italy have been destroyed in a variety of wars within the centuries, Santuario Madonna della Corona continues to be spared the more severe because of its relative inaccessibility. Even the famous and stunning Monte Cassino monastery in Italy was completely destroyed by American bombing in World War Two.
By the 1970s, a lot of Santuario Madonna della Corona's structures were worse for wear and were in a state of decay. Many were torn down and rebuilt with efforts being taken to retain as numerous important artistic flourishes as you possibly can.
- Guido Tisato: The Italian Architect Who Built The present Church in 1974
What To Expect In the Santuario Madonna della Corona
The sanctuary is located in the Italian Alps near to Austria (this region was once part of Austria around A century ago prior to the First World War). Its situated in Spiazzi in one of the most picturesque locations in northern Italy. From its devote the cliff it overlooks the stunning valley of the Adige river.
- Location: Spiazzi In The Italian Alps
- Elevation: 2,000 feet or 774 meters Above Sea Level
- Papal Visit: 17th April 1988 Pope John Paul II visited the Shrine And Prayed To The Lady of the Corona
- Designation: In 1982 The Shrine Was handed The Title of “Basilica Minor”
Visiting Santuario Madonna della Corona
Today the church is still a well known pilgrimage site for visitors visiting see the stunning chapel and to pay homage in the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Verona Crown. It's also well-liked by hikers to hike up to and including church within the Alps seemingly hiding.
The Shrine is open throughout the year with opening times varying between summer and winter.
Opening Hours:
- November to March: 8.00 am to six.00 pm
- April to October: 7.00 am to 7.30 pm
If the first is likely to go there, keep in mind that the Shrine from the Corona is really a place of silence and meditation. The sanctuary continues to be described as being “extended between heaven and earth, hidden in the heart of the Baldo rocks.”
Madonna della Corona Sanctuary Walking Tour
If you might like a guided tour from the Madonna della Corona Sanctuary in Spiazzi there are some local guides listed on Tripadvisor.
This walking tour starts in the village of Spiazzi around 10.15 am. Spiazzi is a stunning village around the border between Italy's stunning Caprino Veronese and Ferrara di Monte Baldo regions. On this tour, you will benefit from the stunning landscapes of the Italian Alps together with vineyards and foothills.
It takes around Twenty minutes to walk as much as the sanctuary in which the tour guide will explain about it. After going to the Sanctuary, around noon the tour goes to visit a typical “Azienda Agricola” (farmhouse) nearby. Enjoy lunch with a good glass of Italian wine overlooking a lake. Around 2.00 pm the walking tour heads back.
- Duration: 4 Hours
- Start and End Times: 10.15 am close to 2.00 pm
- Available languages: English, Italian
- Includes: Lunch
- Stop At: Santuario Basilica Madonna della Corona, Vicolo Santuario 1, 37020 Ferrara di Monte Baldo Italy
- Cost: Around $150
