According to tradition, in 1487 the village of Grosotto managed to be spared from the pillage of the Grisons thanks to the apparition of the Virgin Mary, who appeared to the enemy soldiers and the people of Grosotto who had gone to meet their adversaries with only the banner of the cross. This remarkable event soon led to the construction of a church that over the centuries has become one of the most important in the entire Valtellina for the richness of its art treasures: the Santuario della Beata Vergine delle Grazie of Grosotto (the Sanctuary of our Lady of Graces). Traces of the ancient place of worship can still be seen, but the building we admire today dates back to the beginning of the 17th century: a single nave structure with four side chapels, completed with one of the highest church spires in the valley.
Beyond the entrance portal made of local green serpentinite stone, you find yourself under a bright frescoed sky, surrounded by an opulence of stucco, precious carvings and gilding. At the opposite end of the church rises the majestic altarpiece of the main altar, a spectacular baroque masterpiece over ten meters high by the artist Pietro Ramus from Valcamonica (17th-century). Equally impressive is the organ case carved in wooden at the beginning of the 18th century, on which is also depicted the apparition to the grison soldiers that gave rise to the Sanctuary. The organ itself dates from 1875, and has 37 stops and over 1.300 pipes. Also of unique refinement is the elegant pulpit in walnut made by Giovanni Andrea Musatto from Grosotto. It is crowned with the Archangel Michael crushing the dragon. Another precious carved masterpiece is the wooden 15th-century statue of the Madonna delle Grazie, made by the sculptor Giacomo del Maino from Pavia. The sculpture is kept in a shrine on the altar of the second chapel on the right. In the Sanctuary there are also valuable paintings, such as the "Holy Family" painted in 1563 by Marcello Venusti, a Renaissance artist born in Mazzo di Valtellina, later member of Raphael's workshop and friend of Michelangelo Buonarroti.
This and much more awaits you during your visit to the Santuario della Beata Vergine delle Grazie di Grosotto, a true gem in the Alps and custodian of centuries of art and history!
The Sanctuary is open at the following times
Every day from 9.00 to 19.00.
SANTUARIO DELLA BEATA VERGINE DELLE GRAZIE DI GROSOTTO
Via Patrioti, 11
+39 0342 887031
andrea.cusini@diocesidicomo.it
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Frequently plundered over the centuries, there is little remaining of Grosotto’s ancient medieval village, but these days it is a lively little town.
Via Patrioti is particularly worth exploring, where you’ll find the old rectory and can admire the typical use of stone on the entranceway with ornate decorations of angels, flowers
