The sanctuary of the Mamma Schiavona, reached by cable car
At almost 1,300 metres on the Partenio mountains, above Mercogliano in the province of Avellino, the Sanctuary of Montevergine is one of the most visited Marian shrines in southern Italy. It was founded in 1124 by St William of Vercelli, who started a Benedictine congregation here, and it still houses a community of monks.
The sanctuary preserves the great icon of the Madonna di Montevergine, a thirteenth century Byzantine-style painting more than four metres high, affectionately called "Mamma Schiavona", the "slave mother", by the people of Campania. Every year, especially at Pentecost and on the feast of the Candlemas in February, thousands of pilgrims climb up, some on foot, with songs and the traditional dance of the tammurriata. The sanctuary is particularly loved by the LGBT community of Naples because, according to legend, in 1256 the Madonna saved two young men who had been tied to a tree on the mountain because they loved each other. The complex also includes a museum and a library.
Tip: a funicular climbs from Mercogliano in about seven minutes, with great views; in winter the area can be snowy, so check conditions.
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