Rapallo is a commune in the Province of Genoa, Italy, where in fact we approach almost by chance, or rather, as someone once told me, Maria is the one who takes you to their places.
Looking for tourist tours we were attracted by a mountain to which many people used to go. We started to investigate and discovered Our Lady of Montallegro.
Appearance
On Friday, July 2, 1557, Giovanni Chichizola, a resident of San Giacomo Canevale, was returning from Genoa, where he had gone to sell his products. When crossing Mount Leto, tired and fatigued by the heat, he took refuge in a cave falling asleep. Suddenly, a glow, a Lady, dressed in a dark blue color says:
“Do not be afraid Giovanni! I am the Mother of God. I have chosen you as a messenger of my maternal will. Go to the ecclesiastic of Rapallo and let him know that the Mother of God has chosen this place for his perpetual residence and wants a church built in his name here. “
Surprised by the vision and frightened by the task entrusted to him, Giovanni
replied: But how can I, poor country man, be heard?
“You will show this image and the writing of this stone,” the Lady replies. The vision disappears, leaving on the ground, near a stream, a small table representing the Dormition of Mary Most Holy.
Giovanni extends his hand to take that image and bring it to his mouth to kiss, but no matter how hard he tries to take it, he can not move it from its place.
Filled with reverence and fear, he shouts: “Miracle! Miracle!”.
It was when some peasants who worked nearby, that they marveled at the story of Giovanni and admired the small painted tablet.
The archbishop of the parish church to whom Giovanni told him what happened happened in procession with the authorities and many people up to the mountain, where the tablet stands out for its bright colors.
The archbishop takes it, wraps it in a silk veil, but does not understand the words written on the rock “HP OY”, which means Mother of God in Greek.
He returns in procession, singing devoutly, towards the city, and places it in the parish church, under lock and key. The amazed people comment on the advent and return to their homes.
The next morning the whole town thinks about seeing the tablet, it is then that the archbishop opens the closet, but the image is not anymore!
To everyone’s surprise, the image had returned to the mountain, to the exact same place. This generated greater veneration even in Rapallo.
It was then that the faithful saw sprout beside the board a fountain of crystal clear water, exactly where Maria had placed her feet. This source continues to give water until today, even in times of great drought. In the year 1574 a ship from Ragusa, coastal city of the present-day Croatia, was taken by a storm to the coast. The captain then appealed to God making vows to go to the nearest shrine if they escaped the impending tragedy. The boat arrived at the coasts of Rapallo with all the crew safe and sound, and in agreement with the promise made, the whole group moved to the Sanctuary of Montallegro to thank the Virgin.
In the temple the crew members recognized the Byzantine icon that had mysteriously disappeared from their land 17 years earlier, and accusing the rapallesi of theft, demanded their return. The tribunal of the Republic of Genoa, considering the evidence of the facts, forced the immediate return to the hands of the captain.
The captain of the ship departed again with the pride of having found the ancient relic, but a few kilometers from Rapallo the tablet had disappeared from the cabin aboard the ship and there was no sign of it.
The ship then returned to Rapallo and from there to Montallegro, where the sailors could admire with amazement that the Image was in its place on the altar, as had happened the first time. As of that date, the Greek-Byzantine Icon has not left the sacred place, as requested by the beautiful Lady.
Our experience
Visiting a Marian Shrine is always something special. When we arrived after a short trip we discussed with my wife what our hearts feel when entering a Holy place.
They are places where Maria’s presence is lived in the air, that sound of deep silence and inner peace that is usually achieved in a Sanctuary.
The entrance is a path of about 300 meters uphill but surrounded by old trees at the end of the same one meets the splendid Basilica.
Upon entering, on the left I see Our Lady of the Guard, which disconcerted me, but I understood later that the representation is similar but not identical.
While we were praying he tried to understand what he saw.
A silver altarpiece surrounding a very small square almost imperceptible, and on the sides of the altar part of a rock.
Shrine of Our Lady of Montallegro 
Shrine Main Alter Our Lady of Montallegro Relic 
Main road to the Shrine of our Lady of Montallegro Our Lady of Monteallegro 
See you soon! Horacio & Andrea Saint Joseph Chapel
Clic para agrandar las fotos
On the left, a chapel dedicated to St. Joseph with a water fountain next to an image of the Virgin of Lourdes, on the right a Chapel with thousands of gratitude on the wall and as a central image a large representation of the Dormition of Mary. Everything quite confusing for me, until we talked to the Priest of the place who explained the following:
- The main altar contains the tablet that Maria gave to Giovanni, the same one that was brought by the Mother together with the Angels from Greece, which is why it is Byzantine iconography.
- This altar was built on the rock where Mary put her feet, that are why they have left part of the rock exposed.
- The fountain that is in the Chapel of Saint Joseph is a representation of the original stone and with a pipe that joins the slope that is actually under the high altar. In this way the faithful can touch the water without being on the altar.
- The Chapel on the right are the thousands of miracles that Our Lady of Montallegro has performed.
- It really excites us to think that one can be in a place where Mary was, to know that Mary with her immense Heart of Mother has helped so many people, to be able to touch the water that comes from a source originated by Her.
- Being able to ask Our Lady of Montallegro for our loved ones and thank her for our lives left us immense peace.
Traveler’s tips
- To get to the top of the hill there are two ways, walk or use the funicular that is fast and safe and takes only 8 minutes.
- If you can, bring something to picnic or have lunch at the restaurant there, beyond the peace that has to be a holy place the views are spectacular.
- Behind the church you will reach the “Hotel del Pellegrino” , do not miss your park, the views are unbeatable.
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