The Sanctuary of the Virgin of the Crown, a spectacular church attached to a cliff

Mountains are one of the most beautiful works of creation and a great place to find the peace and tranquility that a city lacks.

Abuna Yemata Guh, a remote and ancient church in a very difficult to access location
Nukas Sakdari: a Christian monastery erected in a hidden and almost impossible place

Perhaps that's one of the reasons why some churches are located in mountains, far from the madding crowd. Some temples are in truly surprising locations, such as the Santuario della Madonna della Corona (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Crown) in Ferrara di Monte Baldo, in northern Italy.

This Catholic minor basilica is 774 meters above sea level, but its most striking feature is that it is attached to a huge rock face, Mount Baldo. It is documented that some hermits from the Abbey of San Zeno in Verona settled there around the year 1000, and in the second half of the 13th century, there was a church dedicated to Saint Mary of Montebaldo and a monastery there, according to the sanctuary's website.

In the first half of the 14th century, this sanctuary passed into the hands of the Knights of the Order of Saint John (now popularly known as the Order of Malta), who maintained its ownership until 1806. The new one was built between 1625 and 1685, with the interior characteristic that the left side of the temple shows the rocky face of the mountain.

The Gothic-style façade of the church was completed in 1899. The eight-pointed cross of the Order of Malta continued to appear on the façade. The spire-like bell tower was added between 1921 and 1922 on the right side of the façade.

Between 1975 and 1978, the old church was renovated, a project planned by architect Guido Tisado. Once the work was completed, the church was consecrated as a minor basilica on June 4, 1978, by Bishop Giuseppe Carraro.

On April 17, 1988, Pope Saint John Paul II visited the Shrine, arriving in an SH-3 Sea King helicopter of the Italian Military Aeronautics, and prayed before Our Lady of the Crown.

Last year, Zen Hiking Switzerland posted a beautiful video hiking through Ferrara di Monte Baldo, camping at Cima Valdritta (2,218 meters above sea level) and visiting the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Crown, which appears at the end of the video:

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Main image: Zen Hiking Switzerland / Photos: Madonna della Corona.