Beata Vergine dell'Olmo Sanctuary
Montecchio Emilia
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Open to visitors by appointment.
A few minutes’ drive east of the centre of Montecchio Emilia stands the Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine dell'Olmo, for centuries a destination for pilgrimages and a place of profound devotion.
The church, oriented liturgically, is distinguished by its 18th-century tripartite façade, with a tympanum portal, a modern rose window and acroteria that elegantly define its silhouette.
The spired bell tower, over forty metres high, dominates the Baroque structure connected to the apse, visible from afar as a symbol of spirituality and hospitality.
Inside, the single nave houses eight side chapels, decorated with frescoes and paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, whilst an upper loggia features circular niches with busts of saints.
The high altar, crafted from Carrara marble and completed in 1938 by Carmela Adani, together with the frescoes by Anselmo Govi and the bas-relief of the Adoration of the Magi by Armando Giuffredi, create an atmosphere rich in charm and contemplation.
At the heart of the devotion stands the wooden statue of the Madonna and Child, placed on a fragment of the Sacred Elm, the miraculous tree which, since the 15th century, has given rise to the tradition of pilgrimages.
The sanctuary has withstood fires, wars and transformations, keeping its spirituality alive thanks to the care of the Servants of Mary and the Redemptorists, who continue to ensure its religious and cultural life to this day.
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