Santuario dell'Amore Misericordioso (Collevalenza)

The Sanctuary of the Merciful Love in Collevalenza is a twentieth-century pilgrimage complex designed by architect Julio Lafuente. Its basilica, chapels and surrounding buildings form a distinctive example of modern sacred architecture in Umbria.

Why it matters

The sanctuary was established at the initiative of Madre Speranza, founder of the Congregation of the Merciful Love. Its architecture and devotional life reflect a modern pilgrimage movement centred on her message of divine mercy.

What to notice

The basilica's single nave is lined with brick cylinders set slightly apart to admit coloured light. A conical roof structure rises above the presbytery, while a circular platform of white marble marks the sanctuary around the altar. The complex also includes a crypt containing Madre Speranza's tomb and a bell tower built from intersecting curved forms.

Context and history

Madre Speranza arrived in Collevalenza in 1951, and work on the sanctuary began in the following years. The Chapel of the Crucifix was completed in 1955; the bishop of Todi established the sanctuary in 1959. Lafuente's basilica was consecrated in 1965, and Pope John Paul II granted it the title of minor basilica in 1982. Madre Speranza was beatified in 2014.