Information– To reach the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Bocciola enter on the navigator: Ameno Via Bardelli 11 It takes about 10 minutes by car from Orta. It's about 4 km.
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Geographical description- The delightful Sanctuary of the Madonna della Bocciola, in neoclassical style, is located on a panoramic balcony, from which you can enjoy one of the most evocative views of the lake and the Alpine and pre-Alpine reliefs. From afar the Monte Rosa chain looms and below lies Lake Orta, placid and silent, with its island of San Giulio. It is located in Vacciago, a hamlet of the municipality of Ameno.
At the foot of the Madonna della Bocciola lies the lake, behind the peninsula of the Sacro Monte di Orta with its Franciscan chapels, you can glimpse the island of San Giulio, which preserves the most ancient memories of these places; while on the other bank, overlooking a granite spur, you can see the other Marian sanctuary of the lake, that of the Madonna del Sasso.
A bit of history- The Sanctuary of the Madonna della Bocciola was built on the remains of a small church which was built in the 16th century in memory of an apparition of the Virgin. The current building, begun in 1754 and finished in 1834-43, has a typically neoclassical structure.
The origin of popular devotion for this place can be traced back to an episode in 1543, when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a girl who was looking after the beasts. Subsequently, in the 18th century, some healings were recorded in miraculous circumstances. These episodes led to the construction of the sanctuary.
The Sanctuary of the Madonna della Bocciola is certainly worth a visit for the beauty and richness of its internal decorations, frescoes, stuccos and precious marbles, all in strictly neoclassical style. You can admire its precious dome and the apse equipped with an altar made of fine white marble. In the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Bocciola there are 36 frescoes that cover the walls and mainly refer to episodes relating to Ancient times.
Among the various depictions, the apparition of the Madonna and Child to the young mute shepherdess Fiordispina occupies a priority space, which recalls the origins of the Sanctuary itself.
The apparitions of the Virgin have always had a very specific purpose in the history of the Church. When the Madonna appears to some creature, almost always the simplest and at a tender age, she always entrusts them with a "message" to pass on to the "grown-ups".
The Church of Novara, at the time of her apparition, was going through a very difficult moment, both due to the pagan moral level that was spreading among the population and due to some public displays of heresy.
The buildings of worship were allowed to fall into disrepair, loan sharking was rampant and there was also a certain lack of cultural and educational preparation among the clergy caring for souls. And so the celestial Lady, through her, invites the Consuls of Vacciago and the common people to sanctify her name on Saturday afternoon from the ninth hour (i.e. from 3pm) until sunset.
What to see- The interior of the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Bocciola has a quadrilobe plan with a choir and a grandiose high altar in white marble, on which the ancient image of the Madonna can be admired. The walls and vault of the sanctuary are finely decorated with splendid 19th century frescoes. The frescoes are mainly oval in shape and concern the Old Testament. A curiosity: the registers of the Sanctuary contain the various "miracles", of which there has been testimony, which occurred over the centuries and attributed to the Madonna della Bocciola.
Events- Every year, on March 28 (date of the miracle), a solemn commemoration takes place at the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Bocciola, as also on the last Sunday of August.
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