Sanctuary Madonna of the Mountain

The Madonna of the Mountain is the most famous and ancient sanctuary on the island of Elba. The place on which it stands, 627 meters above sea level, was an object of worship as early as 1300. The building with three naves was erected in two stages at first construction, it extended from the wall where the granite is walled up to half of the nave which was enlarged only in the second half of the 16th century. (1595). The image of the ‘Our Lady of the Assumption’ is venerated here, painted on a granite block walled into the wall, whose origin dates back to the 13th century. XIII-XIV. the holy water stoup bears the date 1609 and the marble main altar is from 1661. The furnishings date back to the 17th century. It underwent several renovations in the following centuries, until it reached its present state which dates back to 1799. The bell tower was built only in 1921. In 1995, on the occasion of the restorations, sixteenth-century frescoes attributed to Sodom were found on the wall behind the altar.

The dome was painted in 1875 with subjects inspired by the Marian cult.

Draußen, vor dem Eingang, eine Exedra mit drei Brunnen.

Inschriften auf der Außenseite der Madonna of the Mountain

Es wird gesagt, dass Napoleon das Heiligtum während seiner Ausflüge zu Pferd entdeckt hatte und von dem Ort und der außergewöhnlichen Aussicht, die bis nach Korsika reichte, fasziniert war; so beschloss er, zwischen dem 23. August und dem 14. September 1814 einige Tage zu bleiben. Währenddessen landete Gräfin Maria Waleska am 1. September mit dem kleinen Alessandro, Napoleons unehelichem Sohn, auf der Insel Elba: Die beiden erreichten heimlich die Insel Kaiser der Madonna del Monte, um dort ein paar Tage zu bleiben.

Ein Epigraph, der sicherlich besser zu diesem Ort passt, danke dem Arzt Luigi Valli, der mit seinem Wissen und seiner Arbeit für das Wohl der Marcianesi gearbeitet hat.

Inside the sanctuary, on the other hand, there are many plates and tickets affixed to thank the Madonna for the grace received.

Religious functions to the Sanctuary

If you wish to attend the religious ceremony or to visit the interior of the church, the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Monte, we suggest to check first, to know the opening times. The Parish of our Lady of the Mountain is under the diocese of Poggio and Marciana.

How to reach the Church of the Madonna del Monte

The Church of the Madonna del Monte is located on the northern side of Monte Giove, it can be reached along a path surrounded by chestnut trees that from Marciana Alta leads to the sanctuary, about 1.5 km with a difference in height of 200m, the route is divided into thirteen chapels of the via crucis.