 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Sanctuary of Montenero" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
TheShrine of Our Lady of Grace, also known asSanctuary of Montenero, is a religious complex inMonte Nero, a village inLivorno Hills, nearLivorno, centralItaly reachable by afunicular.
The complex, elevated to the rank ofBasilica and maintained byVallombrosian monks, is devoted toOur Lady of Grace of Montenero, patron ofTuscany. It also includes a rich gallery ofvotive offerings.
To commemorate a legend, a small Chapel was built at the beginning of the road that leads to the shrine dating back to 1603. In 1956 it was replaced by a larger church.
TheTheatines enlarged the sanctuary. Between the end of the 16th century and early 17th century an oval atrium was added and richly decorated. After the suppression of religious orders byGrand Duke Peter Leopold, the sanctuary fell into ruin. It was later restored.
The presence of caves dug into the hill behind the shrine is attested since ancient times and probably have also been a refuge for robbers. Montenero was known as "the devil’s mountain".[1] In the early 20th century, they were extended as a result of an excavation company, which obtained permission for the extraction of the stone material. Having hosted shelters duringWorld War II, it had been fully consolidated in 1971 and then open to visitors of the shrine.Due to land fall the Grotto has been closed to the public for quite a few years now.
43°29′34″N10°21′00″E / 43.4927°N 10.3499°E /43.4927; 10.3499
 | This article about aRoman Catholicchurch building inTuscany is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
