Sanctuary of Montevergine: history of one of Campania's most beloved places of worship

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The Montevergine sanctuary is one of the most important Benedictine monastic complexes in Campania and is one of Italy's 6 territorial abbeys. The structure stands in Montevergine, a hamlet of the municipality of Mercogliano, in the province of Avellino.

Montevergine is located between the Parthenium mountains and is situated at an altitude of 1,263 meters. Just below the peak is the shrine that is said to have been erected near the earlier temples of Vesta and Cybele. According to historians, the ancient medieval name was Mount of Virgil, as the poet Virgil was thought to have had a vegetable garden at this location.

It was only after the Christian church was built that the hill was named after the Virgin. Every year the shrine of Montevergine attracts one and a half million pilgrims coming from all corners of southern Italy.

In earlier times pilgrimages were carried out on a fast and in many cases involved unmarried women promising to return the following year with their spouses. The flow of believers going to the monastery dates back to at least the 13th century, a time when hostels and pilgrim shelters began to be built in what is now the municipality of Ospedaletto d'Alpinolo.

The origins of the shrine of Montevergine

The history of the Montevergine shrine is inextricably linked to. William of Vercelli, a monk and saint who lived around the 12th century and used to frequent the pilgrimage sites of Christendom. He returned to Italy after having been to Santiago de Compostela and wished to set out again for Jerusalem.

To prepare for the trip to Holy Land goes first to Atella and then to Ginosa, where the saintly John of Matera suggests that he give up his purpose to serve in the western lands. Initially William refuses and continues on his way to Jerusalem, until he is attacked by a group of brigands.

Mindful of John's words and after careful consideration, he desists from his decision and prefers to engage in meditation. Having arrived in Irpina, he felt that God's will was to live on a mountain over a thousand meters high.

Over time, William of Vercelli's reputation for holiness drew large numbers of men who wanted to embrace a simple lifestyle and devote themselves to prayer. Simultaneously with the arrival of monks and brethren, plans were made to erect a church to be dedicated to Our Lady, consecrated in 1126.

Meanwhile, the monks of Montevergine form. the Virgin Congregation, which was officially recognized by Pope Leo XIII in 1879.

Throughout the centuries, the congregation operated by carrying out evangelizing activities, even using dialect in order to reach the poorer classes of the city. At the same time, the monks engaged in caring for the sick, fostering the establishment of hospitals and hospices in Campania and southern Italy.

After Guglielmo da Vercelli's death in 1142, the shrine reached its peak between the 12th and 14th centuries, a time when the monastery began to collect works of art and expand thanks to donations from sovereigns, popes and local feudal lords.

It is at this time in history that it is given the painting of the Madonna, now housed and venerated in the cathedral basilica. Many relics, such as the bones of St. Gennaro, later moved to the cathedral in Naples, are kept in these same years.

From 1588 and until the 19th century, the life of the shrine did not experience major shocks, except for the fire in the nave of the church in 1629 and the transfer of William's remains from Vercelli to Montevergine in 1807.

Instead, in 1861, the a period of economic crisis, resolved only when in 1869 the newly formed Italian state decreed that abbeys were not to undergo any economic suppression, and therefore all previously confiscated property was returned. In the same year, the shrine of Montevergine became national monument and in 1884 the Montevergine meteorological station was opened.

In the early 20th century the monastery regained its former splendor and was once again one of the most visited in southern Italy. Because of the war, between 1939 and 1946 it housed the Holy Shroud of Turin with the purpose of hiding it from the Nazis.

In the 1950s, a series of building and structural works were carried out, and in 1956 the following was inaugurated the funicular which connected the center of Mercogliano with the shrine, making pilgrimages easier. In 1961 there is the inauguration of the new basilica, and a painting of Our Lady of Montevergine is placed on the altar.

In these same years the crypt housing the mortal remains of Guglielmo da Vercelli, a museum and a room for votive offerings were added. Also belonging to the Montevergine complex is the Loreto Abbey Palace located in Mercogliano.

Architecture of the sanctuary of Montevergine

The new cathedral basilica of the Montevergine shrine was built beginning in 1952 and work was not completed until 1961 with the consecration taking place on Ascension Day. The project is the work of architect Fausto's Florestan and externally the church is clad entirely in white stone.

In the center of the facade divided into 3 compartments is a large rose window with stained glass representing the coronation of the Virgin Mary.

Internally, the building is decorated in neo-Romanesque style, with 3 naves divided by 5 arches. At the end of the aisles are two women's galleries, where a large organ can be seen.

The floor is made of semi-gloss granite, while the ceiling is coffered with pure gold trim. Next to the cathedral basilica is the an imposing bell tower erected in 1925, a full 80 meters high. Made of gray and white granite, the upper part with the papal loggia is in Corinthian style and the lower part is Ionic style.

The shrine also includes the ancient basilica which dated back to 1126, of whose original form, however, nothing remains due to the collapse in 1629. In fact, it was entirely rebuilt in 1645. Access to the church involves an angular staircase that leads to the monastery courtyard and is topped by an iron portal.

Crossing the entrance, one passes into a covered atrium and then enters the church, which has a single nave and a marble floor. Laterally there are 3 large arches that anciently delimited the aisles. In the ancient basilica there are also 6 marble tombstones evoking the history of the Montevergine shrine.

Another very impressive place in the monastic complex is the crypt of St. William, consecrated in 1963. The saint's sarcophagus is placed under the high altar and is decorated with a number of scenes recounting his life.

Along the aisles are 8 chapels, four on each side, dedicated to pairs of saints. Inside the crypt are relics collected over the centuries, enclosed in urns placed along the walls.

To top it off, the shrine includes a museum that collects artwork related to the monastery. The Abbey Museum of Montevergine arose from the need to protect and preserve artifacts and objects of artistic value threatened by the collapses that occurred in the 17th century.

The museum center opens in the 1968, but it was not until 2000 that the current arrangement of rooms and exhibits was arrived at. The exhibition is divided into 4 thematic areas that cover an area of 1,000 square meters. Adjacent to the museum are 9 rooms that house a permanent collection of nativity scenes From all parts of the world.

The painting of Our Lady of Montevergine

Inside the cathedral basilica is the painting of Our Lady of Montevergine, which depicts the Virgin seated on a throne with baby Jesus in her arms. The work is supposed to date back to the 14th century, and the Madonna depicted in it is known as the Black Madonna or Mamma Schiavona.

The story surrounding the painting is rather confusing and not very clear. Legend has it that it was made by St. Luke's Jerusalem, to be later taken to Antioch and Constantinople.

In the 8th century King Baldwin II cut out the head of the Madonna to save her. Upon reaching Catherine II of Valois, the piece was used to complete the work and give it to the monks of Montevergine in 1310.

The first real technical assessment of the painting was carried out in the 1960s by a team of experts and art historians, who stated that the legend handed down is not reliable. The author himself is still unknown today. Moreover, during restoration in 1960, traces of earlier paintings are found, and thus it is likely that the painting underwent additions between the 17th and 18th centuries.

Pilgrimages to the shrine of Montevergine

The tradition of pilgrimages to Montevergine is deeply felt in Campania and other regions of southern Italy. The early historical evidence date back as far as the time of William of Vercelli, when small groups of people would go up the hill to meet the saint.

A written document from 1139 mentions pilgrims going to Montevergine to invoke Marian grace, and in 1263 the same Pope Urban IV believed that the shrine was now a focal point for the prayers of the faithful.

The constant coming and going of pilgrims over the centuries brought tremendous benefits to the entire area, where soon shelters, shelters and hostels sprang up, giving rise to new urban cores.

Pilgrimages in the past were made on foot, on horseback, in carriages or in wagons. Out of habit one avoided eating or one abstained from consuming cheese, eggs and meat. Another holiday associated with the cult of Our Lady of Montevergine is that of the Candlemas Which falls on February 2.

The story goes that in 1256 a homosexual couple was discovered and tied to a tree with sheets of ice. Thanks to Our Lady's intercession, a ray of sunshine melted the sheet, allowing the two lovers to be saved.

Since then on Candlemas Day, people in LGBT movements have been paying homage to the Virgin with a pilgrimage known as the jute of the femminielli.

For those interested, the entrance times to visit the Montevergine shrine are:

• 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays

• 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on holidays