The Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Castle, a magnificent example of Baroque architecture, dominates the hill of Fiorano, in the place where the ancient castle stood, near the old town. It is the symbol of the town and a visual reference point for anyone arriving from the surrounding plain.
It was built in 1634 by Duke Francesco I d'Este and designed by Bartolomeo Avanzini, the architect of the Doge’s Palace of Sassuolo, to keep the image of the Virgin with Child, a fifteenth century mural, traditionally believed to have come from the castle entrance portal. Various miraculous events that saved the town of Fiorano from fires, attacks and plagues were attributed to the image, as testified by the numerous votive offerings collected over the centuries.
Over time, the Sanctuary became an important centre of pilgrimage, culminating on the Festival of the 8 September, the patron saint’s festival remembering the birth of the Virgin Mary.
The building has a Greek cross style layout, an elegant central dome, two bell towers and two sacristies. In the seventeenth century, the interior was decorated by Tommaso Costa, Olivier Dauphin and Sigismondo Caula and the main marble altar was created by Tommaso Loraghi; the frescoes on the dome were restored by Adeodato Malatesta in the nineteenth century.
The square dedicated to John Paul II stands in front of the Sanctuary, with the bronze statue of the Pope. The last stage of the Path of the Beatitudes is located here.
It is also a stage of the Path of Santa Giulia, which starts in Livorno and goes as far as the Santa Giulia Monastery in Brescia.
More information
Informations
Piazzale Giovanni Paolo II – 41042 Fiorano Modenese (MO)
Tel: +39 0536 830042
Email: bv.castello@gmail.com; cultura@fiorano.it
Opening times
Every day, 7.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free admission and free visit of the Sanctuary.
Access to the image of the Virgin and the collection of votive offerings is only permitted before and after religious services; bookings are necessary at other times.