Santuario di Nostra Signora di Caravaggio

The Sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Caravaggio crowns Monte Orsena above Rapallo, preserving a centuries-old tradition of devotion and reconstruction.

Why it matters

The sanctuary stands on the ridge above Santa Maria del Campo, at a natural meeting point between the Tigullio and Paradiso gulfs. It is associated with a procession from the village dating to the seventeenth century. Its history includes repeated closure, destruction and rebuilding, giving the present structure a layered character.

What to notice

The white sanctuary stands against the ridgeline and commands views across the two gulfs and the Portofino massif. Its current form dates from a reconstruction campaign begun in 1983 and completed in 1985, after earlier buildings on the site had been damaged or demolished.

Context and history

A cross was planted on the hill in 1645, and a chapel was built in the mid-seventeenth century to house an image of the Madonna. It was enlarged in 1727, closed by the curia in 1742 and demolished in 1790 by order of the doge of Genoa. The parish of Santa Maria del Campo rebuilt a sanctuary in 1838. After surviving the Second World War, the building suffered vandalism and was reconstructed between 1983 and 1985. The procession tradition remains part of the community's devotional history.