Located on the top of a rocky hill, 618 meters above sea level, the sanctuary of the Madonna di Castelmonte (Madone di Mont in Friulian, Stara Gora – ancient mountain – in Slovenian) is one of the oldest Marian sanctuaries in Italy. Its origins date back to the first millennium of our era, probably towards the end of the Roman era. In the place where the sanctuary stands, in fact, the remains of a building dating back to that era have been found. They could have belonged to a house or a primitive chapel. The first written document in which the sanctuary is mentioned dates back to 1175, while a list of the churches of the patriarchate of Aquileia from 1247 sees the sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte among the most flourishing of the entire patriarchate.
A particularly important event in the history of the sanctuary occurred in September 1469: a violent fire caused by lightning destroyed a large part of the church and also caused serious damage to the village, then inhabited by several families. The fire also destroyed the venerated image of the Holy Virgin. The reconstruction of the church was immediately started, completed in a decade and inaugurated in 1479.
The heart of the sanctuary is made up of the image of the Madonna and Child.
It is believed that the sculptural group was placed in the niche in which it is now located precisely on the occasion of the inauguration of 1479. It is in limestone and was sculpted in the mid-1400s.
Towards the middle of the 20th century, given the large increase in the influx of pilgrims, it was decided to enlarge the crypt until it reached the size of the church above. The work was carried out between the years 1956 and 1963. During the excavations, the remains of an ancient building from the
late Roman, as mentioned. Since 1913, the care of the sanctuary has been entrusted to the Capuchin Franciscan friars.
If you are in these parts we recommend a visit, it is only 9 km from Cividale; from Piazza Resistenza follow the signs for Castelmonte, on a beautiful sunny day you will also enjoy a beautiful panorama of Cividale and the Natisone valleys…