Sacred places between earth and sky
The sanctuaries of the Via Mater Dei are meaningful stops, deep roots that unite the faith of the people with the grandeur of the landscape.
Every Marian church tells a story, preserves traditions, and welcomes pilgrims with the simplicity of someone who opens the door of their home.
They are refuges of the soul, overlooking silent valleys or protected by ancient woods, where time seems to stand still and the spirit can find peace.
1st Stage
Holy Mary of Life
In the heart of Bologna, a few steps from the Cathedral of San Petronio, walking down Vicolo Clavature, which connects Piazza Maggiore to the historic "Quadrilatero" (Quadrilateral), brimming with the aromas and flavors typical of the city market, you reach the Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Vita amidst the bustle of its shops.
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The origins of this important place of worship date back to 1200, when the eponymous company was founded. The company cared for the sick, prisoners, those condemned to death, and pilgrims.
The history of Bologna's Ospedale Maggiore is closely linked to Santa Maria della Vita. In fact, the "Spedale Maggiore" stood right next to the religious building, operating there until 1725. For logistical reasons, it was later rebuilt on Via Riva di Reno and later on Via Saffi, where it is currently located.
On the exterior wall of the church, on the Via Pescherie side, during a cleaning of the temple in the early 17th century, an image of the Madonna and Child was discovered, later attributed to Simone de' Crocifissi (Bologna 1355-1399). The icon's discovery caused quite a stir, and it quickly became one of the city's most venerated icons. At the end of the 17th century, following a disastrous collapse, the image was moved to a safe place and returned to its people only after 1787, the year of the construction of the beautiful dome designed by Giuseppe Tubertini. Since then, it has dominated the most important part of the Sanctuary, on the High Altar.
The church, with its large dome, the elegant lines of the interior and the six side chapels represents the most important example of late Bolognese Baroque.
The Sanctuary houses a remarkable collection of sacred works. Among them is the famous sculptural group "Lamentation over the Dead Christ" (circa 1463), located in the room to the right of the presbytery. The vigor and expressiveness with which sculptor Nicolò dell'Arca modeled the seven figures that comprise it make it one of the great masterpieces of Italian sculpture. It will be the first major inspiration on a unique journey through religion, art, and popular culture that will amaze you until the very end.
Via Clavature, 8/10, 40124 Bologna BO
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Open every day except Monday: 10:00 – 12:00 / 15:00 – 19:00
Stage 1
Blessed Virgin of Saint Luke
Founded way back in 1194 by the pious hermit Angelica Bofantini, the Sanctuary stands on Monte della Guardia at an altitude of 289 metres, a hill not far from the heart of the city and which in ancient times was of great strategic and defensive importance for Bologna.
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Around the mid-13th century, a group of Dominican nuns began caring for the place of worship and for five centuries were instrumental in the prosperity of the Sanctuary. In 1707, it passed to the rectorate of the Dominican Fathers, devoted to the Virgin Mary. Today, it is cared for by diocesan priests.
The current form of the temple is the work of the architect Carlo Francesco Dotti, who designed the elliptical plan that expands into a Greek cross until reaching the main altar which precedes the chapel of the Blessed Virgin.
The foundation stone was laid on July 26, 1723, while the beautiful central dome was erected in 1747. The simple aesthetic, devoid of ostentatious decorations, amplifies the rounded shape of the dome that dominates the external stands and gardens, a distinctive symbol visible from the entire surrounding plain. Two curved stairways connect the pilgrims' path with the famous Portico of San Luca, completed in 1721. With its 666 arches, it is the longest in the world (3.79 km), connecting the Sanctuary to the Arco del Meloncello and reaching Porta Saragozza.
For almost 600 years, in the days preceding the Ascension celebrations, the image of the Madonna has been brought to the city where it remains for an entire week in St. Peter's Cathedral.
The value of this Sanctuary is enhanced by works of art of great workmanship: from Donato Creti to Guido Reni to Guercino, many great names are counted among the artists called upon over time to make it unique.
The icon of the Madonna and Child dating back to the 10th or 11th century, which tradition attributes to the hand of Saint Luke the Evangelist, according to recent studies would appear to have arrived here from the East at the time of the Crusades and stands out in the main chapel in a precious marble altarpiece.
The Sanctuary is of great importance to Bolognese religiosity and is the symbol of a hard-working city with its eyes always turned to heaven.
Via di San Luca, 36, 40135 Bologna BO
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From November to February open every day: 7:00 – 12:30 / 14:30 -18:00 From March to October: 7:00 – 12:30 / 14:30 -19:00
3rd Stage
Santa Maria di Zena
Also known as “Mount of the Ants”
The uniqueness of this name “Madonna del Monte delle Formiche” derives from an ancient and still indecipherable phenomenon that occurs in the first ten days of September: the migration of thousands of winged ants (“mirmica Scabrinodis”) to the summit of this promontory between the Idice Valley and the Zena Valley.
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Monte delle Formiche is a place where the mysteries of nature unite with those of faith. Here, on this rocky outcrop between the two streams that give their names to the surrounding valleys, history, sacredness, and legend intertwine, making it a spiritual hub since ancient times.
Standing 638 meters above sea level, the mountain is the result of marine uplift thousands of years ago, evident in the rock stratifications visible on the ridge overlooking the valley. It is an area of ancient settlements and has been a sacred place since pagan times.
Every September 8th, for as long as anyone can remember, the inhabitants of many Apennine villages gather here for a whole week, celebrating a ritual deeply rooted in popular culture. In medieval times, there was certainly a parish church that governed the entire area. The first reliable documents date back to the beginning of the year 1000, when it was part of the possessions of Matilda of Tuscany, who donated it to the Bishop of Pisa at the turn of the millennium.
The current church, with its large portico surrounding it, was rebuilt after the devastating destruction of World War II and is flanked by the original bell tower dating back to 1727. Every year, in early September, devotees place large cloths on the ground in the churchyard to collect the flying ants that have come here to mate and perish within hours. This ancient custom concludes with the blessing and distribution to the faithful of small, colorful packages containing the ants' bodies. But the wonders of Monte delle Formiche never end; a visit will reveal even more fascinating tales, such as that of the hermit Barberio, who lived in a cave just below the church, from where he could hear Mass in complete seclusion.
Via Monte delle Formiche, 40065 Pianoro BO
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Open only during liturgical celebrations on Saturday or Sunday.
4th Stage
Madonna of the Woods
A small cameo of spirituality emerges from the thick vegetation on the ridge between Loiano and Monghidoro. Understated and simple in form, the ancient Sanctuary of the Madonna dei Boschi.
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Located on the edge of a narrow passage, on the road that passes through the town of the same name, just 2 km from the capital, the Sanctuary has been experiencing an extraordinary devotional revival in recent years thanks to the community of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.
The current religious building stands on the ruins of an ancient church founded in 1616 and called Beata Vergine del Nuvoleto or Bocca di Nugoletto. It all began with a Marian image set in a small pillar, closely resembling the Madonna of San Luca.
Located where the church stands today, it was a point of reference for those remote rural communities who played a key role in the history of Madonna dei Boschi. Thanks to the generosity of their donations, the sanctuary was completed in 1685.
At the beginning of the 18th century, following a pastoral visit, Cardinal Boncompagni defined the church as “miraculs clari” in reference to the numerous graces bestowed by the Madonna on her devotees.
The interior is a revelation.
Rich in works of art, some by the sculptor Antonio Gambarini, the temple revolves around the icon of the Blessed Virgin and Child which dominates the main altar in correspondence with the ancient pillar.
The Friars are the heart of this little pearl of the Apennines.
Arriving in 2013 and led by the rector Father Gabriele Pellettieri, they were able to involve the communities around the Sanctuary and give life to a surprising wave of devotion.
Every day at 7 am, from Monday to Saturday, and on Sunday at 9 am, it is possible to participate in a very evocative celebration in Latin.
The most important celebration takes place in May, on the religious feast of the Ascension: from the Santuario di Campeggio below, a procession carries the icon of the Virgin back to the Madonna dei Boschi. The two sanctuaries are inextricably linked by this centuries-old tradition, and in this symbiosis, they remain religious cornerstones in the popular imagination of the Apennine communities.
Via Madonna dei Boschi, 12, 40063 Monghidoro BO
Website
Open daily: 9:00 – 12:30 / 16:00 – 20:00
4th Stage
Our Lady of Lourdes
Also known as the “Church of San Prospero di Campeggio”
The origins of this place are very ancient, although there is no certain information about it until 1223, when it was found to belong to the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Bologna and to the Counts of Campeggio family.
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In 1784, after having been governed by the Pieve di Barbarolo, it passed under the parish of Monghidoro.
The dedication to Our Lady of Lourdes is due to a side chapel on the right of the church dedicated to San Prospero.
In the chapel, in fact, the Massabielle grotto in Lourdes, France, is a true-to-life reproduction, the work of a skilled craftsman from Bergamo, Guelfo Ravasio, which depicts the Blessed Immaculate Virgin, Bernardette at her feet and the stream that recalls the miraculous spring of Lourdes.
Through a passage behind the rock it is possible to approach the statue of the Madonna.
This peculiarity, the numerous testimonies of graces received in this place have made Campeggio so popular that it has earned the name of “Little Lourdes of Bologna”.
The bell tower dates back to the early 1700s and the current religious building is from the late 1800s.
Much of the credit for its current wealth of works of art and valuable artifacts goes to Don Augusto Bonafè, who donated many of his possessions to embellish the church.
From 1919 and for a good 25 years the archpriest's work was extraordinarily effective.
In 1923, returning from one of his pilgrimages to Lourdes, he decided to undertake a faithful reconstruction of the grotto.
Campeggio has always had a great Marian devotion which has gradually strengthened in the neighbouring communities.
During the First World War, from 1915 to 1918, it became a daily destination for pilgrimages from both Bologna and Florence.
Inspired by his faith in the Virgin Mary, Don Bonafè quickly managed to finance the construction of several works outside the Sanctuary, including statues, a Stations of the Cross leading to Mount Calvary built in 1936, the parish priests' avenue in 1924, the avenue of remembrance the following year, and the construction of an aqueduct.
All his parishioners followed him in this undertaking which today makes Campeggio one of the most important destinations for pilgrimages from the two cities.
Via Campeggio, 1, 40063 Monghidoro BO
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May and June open on Saturdays: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM and Sundays: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Open every day from July to September: 9:00 – 12:00 / 15:00 – 18:00
Closed from October to April
4th Stage
Madonna of Pompeii
Just 3.5 km from Monghidoro, in the centre of the village of Piamaggio, close to the provincial road SP60, among old stone houses and inns stands the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Rosario di Pompei.
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Before the current place of worship, where the Sanctuary now stands, around 1600 there was a small oratory dedicated to San Francesco di Paola and later to San Lorenzo the martyr.
In 1885, the archpriest of Monghidoro, Monsignor Giuseppe Fanti, seeing the degraded state in which the oratory was found, decided to rebuild it from scratch and expand its volume.
The news was welcomed with great joy by the inhabitants of Piamaggio who joined him in this undertaking, taxing themselves and working hard on its construction, which was completed in 1893.
Monsignor Fanti also had the idea of placing the image of Our Lady of Pompeii in the new church to promote and spread devotion to the Most Holy Rosary among the people. It was precisely thanks to this strong sense of devotion that Monsignor Fanti was able to raise the funds to have the image of the Blessed Virgin painted by the Bolognese painter Sante Nucci and to purchase the small paintings of the 15 Mysteries of the Rosary that beautifully framed it.
On July 27, 1894, the image was carried in procession with the town band and blessed by the parish priest amidst a crowd of festive faithful.
Since then, every year on the last Sunday of July, the community of Piamaggio celebrates its Sanctuary, the image of the Madonna of Pompeii, and with it its own history.
The stone portico composed of three arches protecting the entrance to the Sanctuary was built in 1898 at the behest of the faithful themselves who once again, stone by stone, wanted to honour their church with deeds.
Since then there has been a succession of pilgrimages from Bologna and Tuscany.
The title of Sanctuary arrived in the early 1900s and was confirmed in 1914.
On June 29, 1956, Cardinal Archbishop Giacomo Lercaro established by decree the status of Piamaggio as a Parish to reward his community's dedication to this small but important place of faith.
Via Nuova, 8, 40063 Piamaggio BO
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Always open: 8:00 – 20:00
4th Stage
Our Lady of the Snow
Also known as the “Church of Madonna dei Fornelli”
Madonna dei Fornelli has an ancient history and its name recalls the remote tradition of transforming wood into charcoal to face the harsh winters of the area (800 m above sea level).
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The stoves, lit in the woods or in special kilns also used to transform stones into lime, created long plumes of smoke that rose towards the sky.
A few steps from the Sanctuary, the ancient village of Fornello is still visible, where one of these ovens probably stood.
The current religious building dates back to the early 1900s and became a parish and sanctuary in 1960.
But much earlier, probably around the beginning of the 17th century, there already existed a chapel with a very singular dedication, that of the Madonna della Neve.
It was an extraordinary event that gave this name to the sacred place, a snowfall that occurred on August 5th of a year close to 1610.
This event, very similar to the one that happened centuries earlier at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, increased devotion to the Madonna so much that it became a point of reference for all the nearby communities.
Later, around the time of the great plague of 1630, as can be read in the inscriptions on the architrave of the entrance door, the inhabitants chose the Marian image as their protector, having miraculously preserved them from the scourge.
Following this grace, all the neighboring communities decided to build a larger and more dignified place of devotion. And Our Lady renewed her grace several centuries later, in 1855, during the terrible cholera epidemic that raged in the area.
There is also an inscription in the church about this divine intervention.
The image of the Madonna and Child, the same one venerated in those early years of the 17th century, a large oil on copper, is today placed in the apse and dominates the main altar.
In 1994, construction of the current bell tower with an octagonal spire and 33 metres high was completed.
There are two celebrations linked to the Sanctuary: the Ascension, with a procession to Castel dell'Alpi in remembrance of the bond that unites the two communities, and August 5th, in memory of the blessed snowfall that made Fornelli the town of the Madonna della Neve.
Piazza Modonna della Neve, 12, 40048 Madonna dei Fornelli BO
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Always open: 9:00 – 18:00
5th Stage
Blessed Virgin of Graces of Boccadirio
Not far from Baragazza, at 719 meters above sea level, protected by Mount Tavianella, Boccadirio is a spell of silence and pristine nature: the only sounds are the rushing waters of the Rio D'Avena and the rustling of the forest blowing in the wind.
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It is the most important sanctuary in the Bologna area after that of the Madonna di San Luca and every year it is the destination of pilgrimages for thousands of faithful.
The first official documents date back to the early 17th century and recount a miraculous event that occurred on July 6, 1480, to two shepherd children: Donato and Cornelia. The Madonna appeared to them while they were grazing on the bank of the stream where the main altar now stands.
The Virgin Mother approached the two children who were praying to her in ecstasy and ordered Donato to become a priest, Cornelia to become a nun and to tell the people of Baragazza of the miracle to encourage them to erect a temple in her honor on the site of the apparition.
The population worked hard and the first church was built.
Twenty years later, the faithful placed there the holy image they had received as a gift from the visionary Sister Brigida, the name adopted by little Cornelia after taking her vows.
Donato became parish priest of Castiglione dei Pepoli and Cornelia was a nun for forty years in the convent of Santa Caterina da Siena in Prato.
Around the mid-16th century, thanks to the generosity of the noble Pepoli family, the temple was expanded and embellished with works of art, becoming the symbolic place of the entire Apennines.
At the end of the 17th century, the loggia surrounding the beautiful cloister built around 1720 was completed, along with the adjacent pilgrim's hostel.
Of great value is the sacred image by Andrea Della Robbia, a bas-relief of white majolica ceramic on a blue background depicting the Madonna and Child standing.
At the end of the 17th century, the religious fervour was such that huge crowds of faithful invaded the Sanctuary to pray to her.
Every year, during the Rogation Mass in May, the icon returns to visit its people in the church of San Michele Arcangelo in Baragazza until the Ascension.
Since 1947, the Dehonian Fathers have cared for the Sanctuary and the pilgrims who come from all over the world to experience the sublime mysteries of faith.
Via Bocca di Rio, 22, 40035 Castiglione dei Pepoli BO
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Always open: 7:30 – 12:30 / 14:30 – 19:30
4th Stage
Blessed Virgin of the Serra
Also known as “of the Madonna di Ripoli”
A few steps from the San Benedetto Val di Sambro train station, on the Bologna-Florence direct line, stands the Ripoli Sanctuary.
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Situated on the promontory overlooking the Setta Valley, it is among the oldest places of worship in the Bolognese Apennines: its history began around the year 1000, when the Virgin appeared to two shepherds asking them to build a church on the site of the miraculous event.
Inside the building we find two icons of great symbolic and historical value: a polychrome terracotta statue of the Madonna and Child from 1603 and a canvas depicting the Madonna of the Rosary, considered by many to be the original image, the same one carried in procession in 1855 to counter the tragic cholera epidemic that spread throughout the Bologna area.
From then on, devotion to the Mother grew ever greater and the Sanctuary became the point of reference for the entire Setta Valley.
Pilgrimages multiplied and this induced the faithful to expand the temple to its current form.
Inside, in addition to a good number of sacred works of art and highly valuable furnishings, there is a precious late 19th-century organ by the Maestri Orsi of Bologna set in a splendid wooden choir loft made by local craftsmen.
The facade and the beautiful bell tower, designed by the architect Rivani, date back to the end of the Second World War.
The Sanctuary celebrates Pentecost every year on the last Sunday of August.
The recurring apparition of the Virgin Mary to the shepherds on the mountain is a symbol of how the divine finds in the purity of children's gazes a privileged channel, closed to many "intelligent and wise" people.
Today this message seems even stronger and invites us to reflect on how purity is put to the test by a society completely accustomed to the ephemeral.
The return to simplicity is a small miracle, an achievement that is by no means a foregone conclusion.
For this reason, the path of the Via Mater Dei could be a true revelation for many.
SP60, 40048 Ripoli BO
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Always open: 8.00am – 8.00pm
7th Stage
Blessed Virgin of Consolation
Also known as “Montovolo”
Inside the “Montovolo and Monte Vigese Park”, at 912 metres above sea level, the Sanctuary stands on a plateau that joins the two mountains.
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Here, in Etruscan times, there was a temple dedicated to the Goddess Pale.
Around 1000 the plateau took the name of Monte Ovolo, due to its shape, and the first Christian church was built.
The current one, however, dates back to 1211 as inscribed in the lunette above the entrance.
The Romanesque style makes it unmistakable.
A single nave, a wooden trussed ceiling, this arcane simplicity is the distinctive element of this sacred place so dear to the metropolitan canons who, since 1045, have climbed this mountain, creating a thousand-year-old connection between the Sanctuary of Montovolo and the Cathedral of San Pietro in Bologna.
The bell tower, dating back to 1838, houses a sundial that is still functioning.
Above the main altar stands the sacred image of the Blessed Virgin and Child, a large wooden sculpture dating back to the 15th century.
The sacred image of the Madonna hidden in an oratory at the foot of the mountain, the Oratory of the Sterpi, managed to escape the destruction of the Second World War and returned to its home after the conflict ended.
The most interesting part, brought to light around 1925, is undoubtedly the crypt, a very important testimony to the original church, on whose plan the subsequent one was built.
Having become a sanctuary in 1925, the church shines with a unique charm thanks to the cleaning work that has brought its original style back to light.
Every twenty-five years, since 1950, the statue of the Madonna has been carried on pilgrimage to nearby towns to bless the local communities.
A few steps above the Sanctuary stands the small but fascinating Oratory of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. This unique name has earned Montovolo the nickname "Bolognese Sinai."
Its construction, also dating back to the early 13th century, is due to the votive offerings of a group of Bolognese crusaders returning from Daimetta.
The interior is a real surprise with frescoes dating back to the 15th century.
Two places of faith closely connected to each other and immersed in uncontaminated nature.
40030 Grizzana Morandi BO
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From May to September Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00
