Santuario Di Nostra Signora Di Misericordia

Daily plenary indulgence, we did not know when we visited the sanctuary!

We celebrated a mass in preparation for the 17th general chapter of the Misericdine Sisters ...

Superb. To visit even just for Bernini's altar

Interesting lower chapel

Savona was famous throughout the world for being the birthplace of Sisto Quarto and Giulio Secondo and then thanks to the Madonna di Misericordia which appeared on the banks of the Lavagnola stream (called Letimbro by the poet Gabriello Chiabrera) on the morning of 18 March 1536 to the farmer Antonio Botta. He also appeared a second time, pronouncing the consonant expression: "Mercy and not justice", not without praising the devotion of the brotherhoods present in Savona. Once the truthfulness of the apparition was recognized, the town was the destination of numerous pilgrimages, so much so that as early as April of the same year the Diocesan bishop authorized the construction of the sanctuary. For this reason the locality, wrapped in the green of the valley, took the name of Sanctuary. Alongside the cult, orphans and those in need of assistance were thought of, true worship cannot be separated from charity towards others, the marvelous square of the Sanctuary actually saw on the left side, looking at the facade of the Church, the birth of the first hospice (today called Palazzo delle Azzarie) which proved to be insufficient led to the construction of another huge hospice opposite, still used for the use for which it was built. The temple has undergone many restorations over the centuries, including at the beginning of the nineteenth century and in 1936, the centenary of the apparition. Finally, the beautiful crypt probably influenced by the Cathedral of Nostra Signora Assunta al Priamar destroyed by the Genoese. In fact, this solution of crypt and presbytery above elevated is not found in Savona. Instead, I remember the crypt of Santo Stefano and Nostra Signora del Monte in Genoa. The interior is dotted with absolute masterpieces such as Domenichino's painting "The Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple" or that of Borgianni depicting the "Nativity of Mary" on the vault we can see many medallions by Bernardo Castello.

Spectacular basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy of Savona, patron saint of the city.

A true mystical experience to visit

the Sanctuary is located a few kilometers from Savona in an internal valley, with a path marked by votive chapels that culminates in the square with a fountain where the Basilica is located, surrounded by ancient buildings, such as Palazzo delle Azzarie, home to temporary exhibitions. The Sanctuary, built in 1536 after the apparition of the Madonna to a farmer, Antonio Botta, soon became a pilgrimage destination. The interior with three naves was frescoed by Bernardo Castello. In a wing that connects the Palazzetto del Duca di Tursi and the Ospizio de 'Poveri there is the Sanctuary Museum with sacred vestments, ex voto.