Santuario della Madonna dei Miracoli

The Sanctuary of the Madonna dei Miracoli, also known as Madonna della Riva, stands near the lakefront of Angera. Its unfinished church preserves a venerated fresco of the Madonna and Child, associated with an event recorded in the parish register in 1657.

Why it matters

The sanctuary was built to house the image, traditionally dated to 1443, after a reported prodigy drew local devotion. Designed on a grand octagonal plan by the Milanese architect Gerolamo Quadrio, the church was only partly completed. Its incomplete form remains a striking presence between Angera's lakefront and the rock of the Rocca.

What to notice

Marks on the façade record the lake's high water levels in 1705 and 1868. Inside, the Madonna and Child fresco is displayed above the altar. Paintings include a double canvas of the Visita di San Carlo alle valli by Isidoro Bianchi da Campione, originally made as organ shutters for the parish church, and works attributed to Bartolomeo Roverio, known as il Genovesino. A stained-glass window installed in 1957 depicts the Assumption with Angera in the background.

Context and history

According to the parish register, on 27 June 1657 a woman praying before a fresco on the wall of the Berna house reported seeing blood on the image. A temporary chapel followed, and the Borromeo family and local clergy promoted a larger sanctuary. The first stone was laid in 1662. By 1667, only the choir and presbytery had been completed. A small bell tower was added in 1735, and the façade was rebuilt in 1943 after damage from the lake's high waters. Restoration of the interior followed in 1980–1981. The sanctuary remains a centre of Marian devotion in Angera.