Edificio di culto
The Marian monastery complex on the summit of Mount Partenio, which has been designated a national monument, is one of six territorial abbeys in Italy. Its construction dates back to the consecration of the first church in 1126, although the ascent to the mountain by Guglielmo da Vercelli is documented in 1118.
The future saint had chosen this remote location for his asceticism, but the renown of his virtues eventually attracted numerous disciples and led to the establishment of a monastic community. In a relatively short period of time, a great deal of construction activity took place, resulting in the erection of the first cells for the religious and the construction of a small church, which William dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The monks of Montevergine, unified within the Virginian congregation, disseminated Marian devotion throughout southern Italy, organizing pilgrimages and establishing Montevergine as the most renowned Marian shrine in the region.La primitiva chiesa, nel corso dei secoli, subì notevoli trasformazioni. Attualmente comprende due chiese dette "la nuova Basilica" e "l’antica Basilica", il monastero, la foresteria, il campanile, la cripta e locali annessi. Già nel 1180 la chiesa di San Guglielmo fu rifatta e ingrandita in stile romanico. Nel XIII secolo Carlo II d’Angiò fece allestire una cappella votiva e chiamò a decorarla il pittore Montano d’Arezzo che, tra il 1296 e il 1297, dipinse la nuova icona della Maestà di Montevergine, nota con il nome di Mamma Schiavona.
Between 1625 and 1631, the new altar and marble complex was built, which housed the Virgin until 1960. In 1629, a large part of the church collapsed: the new Baroque structure was completed in 1645 to the design of the Neapolitan architect Gian Giacomo Conforti. In the 1950s, the Sanctuary, which was no longer able to accommodate pilgrims from all over the region, was adapted to the new devotional requirements. The project, entrusted to the architect. Florestano di Fausto, envisaged the grafting of the new building onto the transversal axis of the pre-existing 17th-century church, so as to create a unitary complex, in which the old church "would constitute the minor arm and the new church the major arm of a large Latin cross". The new building of worship was built, although not completed, in 1963, and the Madonna di Montevergine di Montano d'Arezzo had already been transferred to the monumental altar of the new basilica.
The visit begins in the New Basilica, in modernised Romanesque style, with three naves and a coffered ceiling. A large triumphal arch precedes the tribune and the imposing high altar, where the majestic wooden image of the Madonna, attributed to Montano d'Arezzo, stood until 2010.
The throne is made of precious marble and adorned with bronze statues and sculptures. The secondary naves, at the height of the presbytery, allow a connection to the ancient Basilica. Entering the ancient Basilica, with its three naves decorated with Baroque stuccoes of cherubs and volutes, one enters the ancient Chapel of the Madonna, now the Chapel of the Crucifix, where the Majesty of Montano d'Arezzo will be relocated. The entire chapel is in commesso marble. The vault has paintings of the Assumption, the Immaculate Conception and the Child Mary, while on the walls are other paintings and the Anjou funeral monument. At the end of the right aisle is the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, with a 12th-century Byzantine Romanesque canopy. Outside the chapel is the 15th-century monument to Caterina Filangieri.
The basilica's high altar, built in the 17th century, features a rich decoration in mosaic made of semi-precious stones. Next to it is the half-bust of San Gennaro, in memory of the presence in the basilica of the Saint's body transferred to Naples in 1497. The altar of St Michael features a 17th-century statue of the Archangel in white marble and a mosaic executed by the Brancia family of Sorrento. Finally, the Cappella della Schiodazione has a 1652 altar and a sarcophagus surmounted by a statue of Fabio de Lagonissa, who died in 1659. In the Sala San Guglielmo there are reports of graces received from the faithful and pictorial votive offerings.
Indirizzo
Via Montevergine – 83013 Mercogliano (Avellino)