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  • Day 13

    Madonna Della Corona Sanctuary, Spiazzi

    September 11, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We took a detour on our way to Verona after I had seen an image of this on the Planet Go instagram and I am so glad we made the trip.

    After checking into our accommodation we made the walk down the side of the mountain to visit the Madonna Della Corona Sanctuary. Along the way were huge, very detailed bronze statues detailing Jesus’ death and resurrection, set against the gorgeous backdrop of the mountains and views. Quite spectacular!!

    The Sanctuary’s location was even more spectacular! It is built into the side of the mountain at 774 meters above sea level, overlooking the valley of the Adige river. The church itself started originally as a monastery dating back to the early 13th century, and has been expanded and rebuilt over the years whilst preserving the original structure.
    The walls along one side of the church is the actual mountain side - totally unbelievable.

    The saddest part of the sanctuary is in the oldest part where the walls are lined with hundreds and hundreds of photos of men, women, and lots of children that have passed away. Lots of memorabilia from the dead has also been placed there. It is a place of sadness and loss.

    Below this was an ossuary that we were not expecting and on display were a couple of mummies and some skulls. This actually felt different to the bones we have previously seen as they weren’t just bones, there was more substance to them. It felt a bit eerie.

    Overall it was an interesting place to visit and the location was amazing. Thankfully there was a bus we could catch back up the hill as I don’t think we could have walked back up as easily as we walked down.
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