Santuario della Madonna della Pace

The Sanctuary of Madonna della Pace stands above Nobiallo, a hamlet of Menaggio. Built in 1658–1660, its octagonal stone body preserves an older devotional relief and a collection of votive paintings.

Why it matters

Architecture and devotional objects record different periods in the sanctuary's history. The contrast between its seventeenth-century construction and a relief dated 1484 gives the building a deeper artistic chronology.

What to notice

A pronaos precedes the octagonal body, which has a polygonal apse, a bell gable and stone-slab roofing. Above the baroque altar is the relief known as the Miracle, attributed to Matteo Destopanis and dated 1484. Ex-voto paintings include two seventeenth-century works by G.B. Macolino of Chiavenna and a canvas by C.G. Castelli depicting the sanctuary's consecration in 1660.

Context and history

The sanctuary belongs to the historic landscape of the Via Regina above the lake. Its votive images express gratitude and devotion, while Castelli's painting links the interior decoration with the building's founding period. Relief and paintings place individual acts of devotion within the sanctuary's broader architectural history.