A place of the soul surrounded by monumental trees where the silence that envelops you upon entry instinctively induces meditation and in which it is possible to clearly perceive the prayers.
Legend has it that two shepherd children, one of whom was deaf and dumb since birth, were grazing sheep when they were caught in a snowstorm even though it was the height of summer.
The two children took refuge under a large maple tree and, during the raging bad weather, the Madonna appeared and helped the deaf-mute child acquire hearing and speech.
At home they reported that the Virgin wanted to be venerated in that place.
Even today, on August 5, many pilgrims participate in the feast of the Madonna in memory of the event.
There are several images of the Virgin of the Maple today, the most recent is exhibited throughout the year in the sanctuary and is a copy of the copper panel, painted in oil, dating back to the last century.
Two older images are also preserved, one of them was cut from a 1658 print (by Bartolomeo Coriolano) which reproduced the expected inscription “the true portrait of the miraculous and very ancient image of the Madonna dell’Asaro, called The Virgin located in the Alps”.
“A glimpse of light that suddenly opens between the branches of a maple tree and calms the snowstorm, enveloping the two shepherd children with its warm and maternal rays.”
In reality that Light could have been lit anywhere, the Gospel says that there are no limits to Divine providence, but the Madonna chose the branches of a maple, not a fir or a chestnut, but the tenacious maple, which grows where other plants are impossible to live on.
What is striking today when visiting the sanctuary of the Madonna dell’Acero is the simplicity and harmony of a building certainly not born from the idea of a great architect but rather from popular devotion which, despite its rustic style, has given the complex a natural, difficult to find elsewhere.
The layout of the sanctuary is a Latin cross and under the main altar (the oldest part of the sanctuary is the one near the bell tower), the remains of the first small temple built to commemorate the miracle are kept.
Inside are preserved many ex-votos that popular gratitude has left to the church, including the finely crafted group of wooden statues called “Brunori”, built by the family of Brunetto Brunori as an ex-voto for having miraculously escaped death in occasion of the battle of Gavinana on 3 August 1530.
On August 5th of every year a big festival with a market is celebrated.
Recommended destination for lovers of autumn foliage.
The sanctuary, despite being built in a quiet and secluded corner, is easily reachable by leaving the Porrettana at Silla and following the signs for Lizzano in Belvedere, Vidiciatico, Corno alle Scale, coming from both Bologna and Pistoia. Instead, following the Fondovalle, which leads from Modena to Fanano, you can reach it via the Masera Pass.
During the summer the sanctuary is open all day, while in autumn and winter it is possible to visit it only on Sundays, during religious functions.
However, precisely in the cold months the place offers particular suggestions, due to the intense autumn colours, the play of the fog and the profound silence.
For those seeking moments of solitude and reflection, the Hotel dell’Acero, located a few meters from the Sanctuary, open all year round and equipped with every comfort, could be an excellent opportunity to spend a period of rest away from pollution of the city.
The path that leads to the starts from the Sanctuary Dardagna waterfalls
Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine dell’Acero
Via Madonna Dell’Acero 194
Lizzano in Belvedere (Bologna)
Emilia Romagna – Italy
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