Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sangue in Re

Without doubt it is one of the most important places of worship in the whole of Piedmont: the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sangue in Re stands imposing and majestic on the skyline of the Vigezzo Valley. It owes its origin to the bloodshed from a fresco of the Madonna del Latte (the Nursing Madonna) originally painted on the façade of the small Church of San Maurizio.

On 29th April 1494 a group of young people met in front of the church to play a traditional village game, piodella, which consisted of throwing a flat stone against a wooden cylinder on which a coin was placed. One of them, particularly unlucky in the game, became angry and threw his stone at the church, striking the portrait of Our Lady.
The following morning the fresco of the Madonna began to bleed from her forehead. The blood continued to flow abundantly for about 20 days and many sick and infirm inhabitants of the valley, after strengthening their devotion to the Madonna in Re, healed thanks to miracles, which were officially recognised by the civil and religious authorities of the time.

In 1606 the construction of a larger church began, completed in 1628, but the influx of pilgrims from all over Italy and neighbouring Switzerland required an even larger structure. In 1894, four hundred years after the miracle, it was thus decided to build a sanctuary. Work on the sanctuary didn’t begin until 1922; consecration took place on 5th August 1958.
The celebration of the miracle takes place every year from 29th April to 1st May, with a heart-felt and well-attended pilgrimage on foot from Domodossola.

The miraculous blood that came down from the front of the Madonna is the sanctuary’s most precious treasure and a small amount is today still contained in a tiny crystal ampoule hanging on a gold chain.
Inside the majestic Basilica, the altar frames the original fresco of the Madonna. Behind, the structure extends into the choir dedicated to San Maurizio, after whom the original church was named and who remains the patron saint of this village in the Vigezzo Valley. On entering the Basilica in Re, you’re struck by the richness of light that filters through the 30 huge windows and creates a wonderful harmony of colours.

  • CHIESA di SAN MAURIZIO (CHURCH of SAN MAURIZIO)

The ancient church of San Maurizio, now almost incorporated into the monumental architecture of the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sangue di Re, dates back to some time before 1300. The miracle sparked a deep and growing devotion to Our Lady, from that moment on known as “Madonna del Sangue” (Our Lady of Blood).
Inside, the building has a single nave and a checkerboard floor in white marble and dark soapstone. There are three altars in sequence, two dedicated to the Madonna del Sangue, while the presbytery is dedicated to San Maurizio, patron saint of Re, dominated by the presence of the altarpiece painted by Vigezzo painter Lorenzo Peretti.

Info: www.vallevigezzo.eumadonnadire@libero.it

Ideal for
Couples
Families with children
Everybody
You will discover
Culture, traditions and folklore
Devotion
Not-to-be-missed
Rainy day?
History and art
Ideal for
Couples
Families with children
Everybody
You will discover
Culture, traditions and folklore
Devotion
Not-to-be-missed
Rainy day?
History and art
IAT di Malesco
Via Ospedale, 1
28854 Malesco (VB)
See map

You might also be interested in...