Sanctuary of Grosotto

DESCRIPTION:
The sanctuary, which is dedicated to Our Lady of Grace, stands at the foot of the Giroldo rise and the Castelli Hills. It has a simple, austere façade and a tall, slender bell tower.  The interior, which consists of a nave without side aisles, holds numerous works of art. Items of particular interest include the splendid sixteenth-century organ with a carved wooden wind-chest and two exquisite wooden altarpieces. The most important and valuable work is the altarpiece in the chancel produced by Pietro Ramus from Mu in Valcamonica. Fully carved and gilded, this monumental work stands 15 metres tall and is a true masterpiece that required ten years to build. The altarpiece in the second chapel on the right is less important and impressive. It was produced by Martino Tuana Moretto and contains a beautiful polychrome wood sculpture depicting the Seated Virgin and Child. Consecrated in 1490, the church was enlarged and renovated numerous times and definitively completed in 1670-71.

INTERESTING FACT:
The architectural complex is one of the most important in Valtellina. It was built in 1487 as an act of thanks by the population of Grosotto, which believed that the village escaped destruction by the Grisons due to the generous and miraculous intervention of the Virgin.  According to legend, the residents went out to meet the troops carrying the Virgin in a procession to avoid an attack.